Tinged with Red
by Patrice J
Summary: The Doctor's plan to involve Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric in an interesting project leads them all into a perilous situation that will prove a test of each one's personal strengths.
1. Default Chapter

In a clean, white room an adolescent boy sat at a metal table eating a very large, generously packed sandwich. He took a tremendous bite and chewed hungrily as two young women entered the room.

"Adric! You're going to choke if you eat like that," admonished the short-haired woman.

"Growing boys," said the woman with longer, curly hair; with a shake of her head she smiled warmly at him.

The taller woman took two cans from a cabinet on the wall and held them out. "What do you think, Nyssa? Tomato or split pea?"

"Tomato," replied Nyssa.

"Since you're already making it," said Adric, his mouth still quite full of sandwich, "can you make some extra for me?"

The women looked at him and shook their heads.

"Really, Tegan," he mumbled around the bread, "can you just add a little more?"

"Only a little?" Tegan teased.

Adric shrugged and returned to his sandwich. Tegan took spoons and napkins from a drawer and turned to set them on the table as Nyssa bent to retrieve bowls from a cupboard beneath the countertop. When Tegan looked up, she saw that Adric was staring open-mouthed straight ahead. She followed his gaze and scowled. She thought immediately of reproaching the boy, but it really was not her place to scold him for staring at Nyssa's behind. Instead she rattled the spoons against the table top.

Adric blinked and returned to his sandwich.

"I'll be right back," Tegan said, quickly leaving the small kitchen.

She walked down the hallway to the console room, where she found the Doctor working with his sonic screwdriver on the surface of the control panel. As she stepped inside, a small piece of metal clattered to the floor. He bent to retrieve it, muttering, "That won't be easy to replace."

"Doctor!" Tegan said firmly.

He looked up at her somewhat absently. "Yes, Tegan?"

"You need to have a talk with Adric."

The Doctor set the wayward piece back on the console and squinted down at a small screw next to it. "I'm rather busy at the moment. Surely whatever it is can wait a while—"

"No," stated Tegan, "it really can't."

"Hmm." The Doctor was clearly focused on the console.

"Doctor!" Tegan crossed her arms over her chest.

Her tone captured his attention, and he glanced up. "What?"

"You need to talk with Adric, and you need to do it soon."

"I'm sure that you and Nyssa can handle whatever it is."

"No, not this particular subject."

With a sigh the Doctor set the screwdriver on the console. "And what subject might that be?"

"Adric is growing up. He needs someone to talk to him about it."

"Surely he's aware of the changes that maturity brings—"

"Maybe. But he needs to discuss how to deal with those changes." Tegan lowered her arms then recrossed them. "Just now," she said, "I caught him staring at Nyssa, and not in a very polite way."

"What do you mean?" The Doctor's expression showed that he was oblivious to her concerns.

"He was staring at Nyssa's... behind."

The Doctor straightened slightly. "Her— oh, I see."

"So you have to talk with him. Explain to him that it's not all right to ogle Nyssa."

"You seem to have a good idea of what to say to him. Perhaps you should speak with him—"

Tegan shook her head. "No, Doctor. He needs to discuss this with another male. Ideally he should have had this talk with his father or an uncle, but since that's not possible, you're the closest thing he has."

"And what would you have me say to him?" The Doctor's fingers had inched back toward the small metal switch on the console.

"Explain what's happening to him, and see what questions he has. I'm sure he'll have quite a few. And be certain he knows how to deal with the feelings he's having."

"If I agree to speak with him, will you allow me to return to work? This really is quite important."

"You promise you'll talk to him soon?" Tegan's tone was resolute.

The Doctor nodded, already holding the screwdriver and bending over the console. By the time Tegan left the room, his thoughts had returned fully to the task at hand, his conversation with her entirely forgotten.

----------

Several hours later, the Doctor called his young companions to join him in the console room. They gathered beside him as he pointed to a bright yellow switch on the control panel.

"I've made a significant improvement," he said, clearly pleased with himself. "This switch will engage a voice-activated control program. Depress it twice and it will program the TARDIS's coordinates for wherever and whenever you state. This will avoid any future misguided attempts to move the TARDIS without knowing precise coordinates." He gave Tegan a brief, reproving look.

Tegan winced, recalling her recent efforts to escape from the Urbankan ship. She knew that the Doctor had not entirely forgiven her for attempting to use the TARDIS to flee.

Nyssa exclaimed, "That's wonderful, Doctor! How does it work?"

The Doctor smiled at his Traken companion. "I've wired and programmed the computer to convert vocal signals to digital commands. I'm still working on creating a database capable of identifying the precise coordinates for any possible destination, but I've temporarily programmed in several dozen already. Now, this is very important." He looked directly at each of the three young people before him. "Do not press this switch unless you absolutely must. If it is depressed accidentally, the program will set the coordinates for any place or time that is mentioned, even in conversation. This is why it must be pressed twice in order to activate the system. And it is to be used only in emergencies."

All three listeners nodded. Nyssa was already peering underneath the console. "Which wires did you change?" she asked.

The Doctor leaned forward and pointed beneath the console. Nyssa bent so that she could see the location he indicated.

Tegan's eyes were drawn to Adric, who stood agape, gaze fixed once again on Nyssa's posterior. The young Australian touched the Doctor's shoulder. He looked up at her; she tilted her head toward Adric.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Adric," he said, "I wonder if you wouldn't mind solving some equations for me." He hastily scribbled several rows of numbers and symbols across a small pad of paper.

Adric's attention was immediately drawn to the Doctor. He nodded, saying, "Of course!"

The Doctor handed him the pad. "Work these carefully; take your time. And I'll also need the book on object-oriented programming from the library. I believe it is in the far left corner, on the second shelf. Remember, there's no rush on the equations."

Adric hurried away as Tegan was overcome with a small coughing fit.

Nyssa stood upright to look at her with concern. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Water," Tegan choked out, gesturing toward the door. Nyssa hastened away.

The Doctor gave Tegan a curious look; her coughing ceased the moment Nyssa was out the door. She placed her hands on her hips.

"Did you see him?" she asked somewhat accusatorily.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes."

"But you haven't spoken with him yet, have you?"

"I've been rather busy—"

Tegan shook her head. "But you see now that it's important. He can't go around staring like that."

"I'm addressing the problem at this moment." In response to Tegan's questioning look, he added, "I've sent him to the section of the library in which he'll find several excellent and informative texts on human development He'll see these, I'm sure, and know that there is a source available to answer his questions."

"That's not what he needs."

"I'm sure it will be sufficient."

"No, Doctor, it won't. He needs to talk to you."

Nyssa returned with a glass of water, which she handed to Tegan.

"Are you all right? What happened?" Nyssa asked.

"Just something in my throat." She took a sip of the water then shot the Doctor a rather severe glance. "Don't wait too long," she said, walking out of the room.

Nyssa appeared perplexed. "What did she mean?"

The Doctor waved a hand dismissively in the air. "Nothing, Nyssa. Nothing at all."

----------

Adric sat in the library with his legs stretched in front of him. Several books lay on the floor, and one was open in his lap.

The Doctor watched the boy for a moment before he stepped fully inside the large room and spoke. "It looks as though you've found something interesting," he commented.

Adric looked up, appearing momentarily startled. "Oh. Yes, I have."

The Doctor leaned casually against the wall. "Oh?"

Adric pointed to the book he read. "I never knew this before. I mean I was aware of the general concept, but this is really surprising."

The Doctor smiled. "And what is that?"

"This is about the history of mathematics on Earth. Did you know that Pythagoras proved his theorem without the use of numbers? They hadn't been invented yet. He used pebbles laid out on each side of the triangle—"

"Yes," interjected the Doctor, "I was aware of that. Didn't you find any other books of interest?"

"Are there other mathematics texts you think I should read?"

The Doctor exhaled. "I'm sure there are. But aren't there any other topics in which you're interested or about which you're curious?"

Adric thought for a moment. "No, not really."

The Doctor ran his fingers over a row of books then looked pointedly at the boy. "Adric," he said, "how would you like to help me with a rather intriguing project?"

"Really? I'd love to! What is it?"

"You found the information about Pythagoras interesting. Coincidentally, it is vaguely related to what I have in mind. There is a planet called Anahsti which has ruins with characters carved into them. These characters have been studied by archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians several times, but no one can figure out what they signify. I think that the characters may lend themselves to an analysis much like Pythagoras used; they may reveal information from their patterns, rather than from some language which they may or may not represent."

"And you want me to help figure them out?"

"I can't think of anyone more qualified."

Adric beamed. "When will we go?"

The Doctor turned to leave. "We'll arrive within the hour."

Adric hurried down the hallway toward the room that Nyssa and Tegan shared. He burst through the door to find Nyssa reading and Tegan polishing her nails. They looked up at his intrusion.

"Adric!" Tegan scolded. "You can't just come barging in here! One of us might have been changing."

Adric's cheeks flushed slightly and his eyes darted to Nyssa. "Sorry. But has the Doctor told you where we're going?"

Both young women shook their heads.

"We're going to explore some ruins on Anahsti, and I'm going to try to analyze some mysterious characters."

"And exactly when are we doing this?" asked Tegan.

"The Doctor says we'll arrive within the hour. Isn't it exciting?" Adric bounded away.

Tegan blew on her nails somewhat fiercely then stood to walk out of the room. She strode quickly to the console room.

"Doctor!"

The Time Lord stood at the console, punching in coordinates.

"You still haven't talked to him, have you?"

He looked up at her. "No, but I've found an excellent project to occupy his mind—just the sort of thing to keep his thoughts focused."

"Oh, right, by traipsing around on Anozzi—"

"It's Anahsti, and there is important work to do there."

Tegan stepped forward. She narrowed her eyes. "You're afraid to talk to him, aren't you? I can't believe that the Time Lord who can face the Master, and horrid green frogmen, and lord only knows what other unspeakable creatures, can't figure out how to have a simple discussion with a teenage boy—"

The Doctor's expression had darkened as she spoke. He raised a hand and pointed a finger at her. "Tegan, you've insisted that I deal with this situation. I am doing that in the way I feel is best." His voice was rough with indignation.

He clenched his fist, then lowered his hand as he took a breath. He forced his temper to recede. "You don't know what I'm planning," he continued. "Once we're at the ruins, I'll take him aside and speak with him privately. I believe that he'll feel somewhat self-conscious, given the content of the conversation, and I think it would be better if didn't have to run into Nyssa in the hallway here immediately after we've spoken. Studying the ruins will give him a chance to do productive work, which will leave him feeling self-confident and mature."

Tegan contemplated the Time Lord's face for a moment. He seemed sincere enough. "All right," she acquiesced, "but don't wait too long."

She turned to leave but paused. "By the way, what will Nyssa and I do while you're studying the ruins?"

"Oh, I have important jobs planned for both of you. Now go and get Nyssa and Adric. We'll arrive any moment."

----------

The first sensation that the four travelers experienced when they stepped out of the TARDIS was intense heat. Tegan felt as though she had walked into an oven.

"Cripes. It's really hot here," she said.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "But there is little humidity." He was already removing his jacket; he stepped back inside the TARDIS.

Tegan shrugged out of her jacket as well. As she did so, her blouse pulled slightly. When she looked up, she found Adric's gaze fixed on her chest. She turned away quickly and entered the TARDIS. The Doctor had hung his coat on the hatrack and was folding his sweater neatly.

"Doctor," Tegan said with some exasperation, "now Adric's staring at me, and I don't want to tell you where."

The Doctor set his sweater on the console. "I'll speak with him later today." He picked up a satchel that lay near the door and stepped outside.

Tegan hung her jacket next to his and followed him back out into the heat. Adric and Nyssa were surveying the land, and Tegan joined them in their efforts. They stood in a low valley; mesas rose up steeply on all sides, surrounding them in a rocky ring.

"Where are the ruins?" asked Adric.

The Doctor pointed toward one of the mesas. "The best-preserved ones should be over there."

Tegan was already fanning herself with her hand. "That's at least three kilometers from here! Surely you could have landed the TARDIS a bit closer."

"No," said the Doctor, "I couldn't. The ruins are quite delicate; the vibration caused by the TARDIS could be damaging to them." He had already begun walking. "Come on."

Adric walked next to the Doctor, several paces ahead of the young women. After perhaps fifteen minutes, the Doctor stopped and bent to reach into his bag. Nyssa wiped a hand across her forehead then touched the small fastenings on her velvet shirt.

"What are you doing?" Tegan asked her friend.

"It's too warm for this," she replied.

"You're taking it off?" Tegan's voice had dropped to a loud whisper. "You can't do that!" She glanced up at Adric, whose back was turned to them.

"Why not?" Nyssa opened her shirt and pulled at one of the sleeves.

"You can't run about undressed—"

Nyssa shook her head as she removed her shirt. Tegan saw that beneath it she wore a simple, beige camisole. "I'm not entirely undressed," she said, "and there's no one around to care even it I were."

"There's Adric and the Doctor—"

Nyssa smiled. "I can't imagine that they'll notice."

"I imagine that at least one of them will."

Nyssa looked at Tegan with some confusion. Before she could ask for clarification, however, the Doctor stepped toward them holding out two small containers. Adric already had one in his hand.

"This is a beverage that will keep you hydrated," the Doctor said. "It is quite concentrated, so you only need a few sips each hour. There should be enough in each flask to last you through tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow?" Tegan asked. "You mean we're going to spend the night out here?"

"Not exactly. We'll stay at the ruins," said the Doctor.

"You mean like camping?" inquired Tegan.

"Rather, yes," answered the Time Lord.

"I don't know what you do on Gallifrey," Tegan said, "but where I come from camping requires supplies, like sleeping bags and food."

The Doctor held up the satchel. "I've taken care of that." He passed the flasks to the young women.

Nyssa and Tegan took the containers. Tegan was suddenly dreadfully thirsty; she took a generous swallow from the bottle. The liquid was rather thick and had a slightly citrus flavor, but it was not unpleasant.

"Tegan," the Doctor chided, "that's enough. Remember, this has to last for two days."

Tegan lowered the bottle with some chagrin.

"Didn't you bring any for yourself?" asked Nyssa.

"I have an extra bottle in my bag," the Doctor responded, "but most likely I won't need it. Come on; we've still got a long jaunt ahead of us."

He turned and began to walk, but Adric stood still, his eyes focused on Nyssa. She was occupied in tying her shirt around her waist and did not notice his intent gaze.

The Doctor, however, looked back and said, "Come along, Adric! I want you to tell me the results of those equations that I gave you."

The boy blinked as though awakened from a dream. "Oh. Yes, Doctor." He spun around and joined the Time Lord.

As the small party walked on, they noticed unusual plants and small animals in their wake. The Doctor identified several types of cactus and other plants requiring minimal water. He explained that the local flora had the capacity to store water within their tissues for long periods of time, absorbing it from rare rains. The animals, too, had adapted to the arid environment. They were most active during the night when temperatures were cooler. They knew which plants contained water and how to eat those portions with the richest flesh.

The inhabitants of the ruins had been similarly skilled in identifying plants containing moisture. Their store of knowledge about medicinal uses of the plants had been impressive, too. The Doctor pointed out several plants that he recognized as similar to commonly known botanicals containing healing properties.

Nyssa was particularly interested in the small reptiles that occasionally scurried across the land. All were auburn or cinnamon brown, blending in well with their surroundings. She and the Doctor discussed environmental adaptation for some time as Tegan fell slightly behind the group. She could feel the hot air pressing against her skin. She had rolled up her sleeves and unbuttoned her blouse as far as she deemed decent, but she was still unbearably warm. She drank from her flask often, feeling momentarily refreshed with each sip.

After more than an hour of walking, the mesas loomed up before the group; they stood at the base of the tallest one. It was at least fifty feet high. In the early afternoon sunlight it appeared various shades of red, ranging from deep rose to sienna. Tegan shielded her eyes with her hand and peered upward. She could see small holes all in a row about halfway up the mesa.

"Are those caves?" she asked, taking another drink from her flask.

"Actually," said the Doctor, "they're dwellings."

Tegan studied the mesa for a moment then said, "I've seen something like this in photos. Some of the Indians in the American Southwest lived in dwellings like these in cliffs. There was a group, I think, that the archaeologists thought was quite advanced but then vanished without a trace five or six hundred years ago."

"You're right, Tegan," the Doctor said with some surprise.

She shrugged. "I've always liked a good mystery."

"And a mystery it is," confirmed the Doctor. "The group to which you refer was called the Anasazi. As you said, Tegan, they lived in the southwestern portion of America in cliff dwellings quite similar to these."

"That's odd," interjected Tegan. "These look an awful lot like the pictures I've seen."

The Doctor nodded. "And that may not be a coincidence. Explorers are often drawn to settle in places that resemble their homes. The Spaniards, for example, settled in Mexico and California in North America, which are quite similar in climate and geography to Spain. This portion of the planet is remarkably similar to the American Southwest. Remember, too, that we are on Anahsti. The name _Anasazi_ differs from _Anahsti_ by only a few phonemes. It takes only a basic understanding of linguistics to see that these words may be related. A word's pronunciation may change with new speakers who have difference linguistic patterns, much as Hellene became Greece, but fundamental sounds remain as the speakers adapt the word into their own speech standards."

"Doctor," said Tegan, "are you telling us that people from here may have come to Earth and settled as what we know as the Anasazi?"

"It is a distinct possibility," he answered, "and one that has been suggested more than once by researchers. The characters that we will see in the dwellings may hold the key to this."

Nyssa said, "But surely the people who dwelt here didn't possess the technology to build ships capable of travel through space."

"No, they didn't," confirmed the Doctor. "And that is part of the mystery. How could they have gotten to Earth, and possibly to several other planets on which similar remains have been found?" He gazed upward at the high ledge by the dwellings. "The answers, I think, lie up there."

"Are there stairs somewhere?" asked Adric.

The Doctor shook his head. "No. The inhabitants lowered ladders for access to the ground."

"So did the Anasazi," said Tegan. "I remember reading that they would pull the ladders up into the dwellings whenever enemies approached. The enemies couldn't get up to them, so they were protected from nearly everyone."

"I don't see any ladders," Adric said.

The Doctor had reached into his bag and withdrawn a large bundle of heavy rope. "No, not anymore. Fortunately I've brought my own." He set the bundle on the ground and took another sturdy rope with a heavy three-pronged hook at the end from the satchel. He tossed the hook upward, requiring several tries before it snagged in a crevice. He gave the rope a solid tug then secured the ladder under his arm and began to climb.

"I'll lower the ladder once I reach the ledge," he said, clambering quickly up the rocky wall.

After several minutes, the rope ladder unrolled down the rock face. "Adric," the Doctor called down, "you come up first."

The boy eagerly clasped one of the rungs and began climbing. When he had reached the ledge, he and the Doctor peered over.

"Go ahead," Tegan said to Nyssa. The young Traken ascended the ladder easily.

When Nyssa's form had disappeared over the ledge, Tegan started to climb. When she was about half-way up, she felt her shoe begin to slip off of her foot as she placed it on one of the rungs. She reached down with her right hand to adjust the shoe; her left fingers slipped from the rope. With a gasp, she clutched for the rung nearest her with both hands, scraping her left palm against the scabrous rock. Her heart was racing in the few seconds required for her to wrap all ten fingers tightly around the rung. She glanced down; the ground appeared very far away.

Tegan closed her eyes for a moment. She had never been afraid of heights; she would never had considered an airline career if she had been. But now she felt fear grip at her. The ground was very hard and awfully far down.

"Tegan!" Nyssa called down. "Are you all right?"

Tegan looked up to see Nyssa's face hovering above the ledge. She took a breath and continued climbing, calling up, "I'm fine. I just had to keep my shoe from falling."

She continued climbing, but her pace had slowed, and she clasped each rung firmly with both hands. When she finally placed her fingers on the ledge, she realized that her legs were shaking. She saw Nyssa take one wrist and the Doctor take the other; they pulled her up to solid ground. As soon as she stood on the ledge, the Doctor hurried to the nearest dwelling, anxious to view the characters.

Tegan tried to steady her legs; her palms were wet with sweat and covered in dirt from the ledge. She wiped them across her skirt.

"Tegan!" said Nyssa. "You're hurt." She was staring at Tegan's skirt.

Tegan saw a streak of blood across the lavender fabric. She turned over her hands, remembering then that she had raked her palm against the rough stone.

"It's just a scrape," she said. Her left palm had several scratches across it; one was deep and still oozed blood.

"Doctor!" called Nyssa toward the dwelling. "Come out here! Tegan's been hurt."

Tegan lowered her hands. "Really, Nyssa, it's nothing."

The Doctor stepped quickly out of the dwelling, his eyes sweeping over Tegan. He noted the blood on her skirt. "What happened?" he asked.

"I just scraped my hand on the rock. I'm fine." Tegan felt embarrassed that she had performed so poorly in this simple climbing task that the others had accomplished with ease.

She moved her hand toward her hip, but Nyssa pointed at it. The Doctor took Tegan's wrist and lifted her hand. He studied the small injury for a moment. Tegan expected that he would admonish her about lack of caution or carelessness, but instead he said, "I should have warned you about how sharp the rocks are." He touched the top of the deepest cut, saying, "You've gotten some dirt in here. Come inside and rinse it off; there's running water."

She and Nyssa followed him into the dwelling. It was dim inside, but as Tegan's eyes adjusted she saw that the home was well-preserved, although somewhat dusty. The walls were smooth; elaborate carvings decorated the ceilings and upper portions of the walls. The rock had been shaped to form benches against one of the walls, and toward the back of the room she saw a long counter, also carved from the stone, with a basin cut into it. A small spout jutted from the wall above the basin, and a gentle stream of water trickled out of it.

The Doctor gestured to the basin. "The inhabitants were able to access streams within the rock so that each dwelling had running water."

"Very impressive," said Tegan, walking to the basin and holding her hand beneath the little stream of water. It seemed to sting for a brief moment, but then she felt a coolness wash over her palm. She watched the water, tinged red with her blood, fall into the basin. There was a hole at the bottom, but the water was absorbed into the stone immediately before it ran down to the drain. Tegan blinked in surprise.

The Doctor was already speaking to Nyssa and Adric. He had taken a small box from his bag and handed it to Nyssa. "I want you to do an analysis of the rock," he was saying. "Previous researchers have noted some unusual composition features, but I could find no specific information about the anomalies."

Nyssa took the kit as he held out a pad and several pencils to Adric. "You and I," he said, "will work in one of the other dwellings that is noted to have the most abundant carvings."

Tegan joined them, and the Doctor gave her a large pad of blank paper and two mechanical pencils. "You'll sketch the characters in here, as accurately as you possibly can," he instructed.

"Which ones?" asked Tegan.

"All of them. Come along, Adric,"

"All of them?" Tegan looked around at the countless characters adorning the ceiling and walls. "There must be thousands!"

"Then you had better get started, hadn't you?" responded the Doctor as he and Adric exited the dwelling.

With a sigh, Tegan settled on one of the benches and began to draw.

----------

The Doctor and Adric had gone to a large chamber about one hundred yards away from the dwelling where Nyssa and Tegan worked. Along the way they had made brief explorations of several other dwellings. Each contained a large room with benches, and counter, and a basin. The Doctor surmised that this space had been used as a combination living room, kitchen, and dining area. Behind this room lay two, three, or four small rooms that likely served as sleeping quarters. Between these was a room with a water spout and a large tub cut into the stone floor; this had almost certainly been used as a bathroom.

Each dwelling had its own entrance; they passed more than a dozen as they made their way to the great chamber. It seemed to be in the center of the community. The Doctor and Adric estimated that at least fifty homes lay on either side of it. The ledge cut into the mesa stretched for over a kilometer, wrapping around toward the sides of the great rock formation.

The young man and the Time Lord worked steadily and with deep concentration for several hours. Adric sat on one of the stone benches, studying and copying various characters that covered the ceiling and most of the walls of the great room. This chamber contained many more characters than the other dwellings had. Adric was not sure where to begin in his analysis; for some time his eyes roved over the expanse of walls and ceiling, trying to absorb any general patterns or repetitions in design. After a time he began making notes, studying the pad on his lap carefully.

The Doctor had occupied himself in similar pursuits. At the moment he scrutinized a corner with perhaps three dozen carvings. The characters were primarily round, with a slight indentation in the center. Some were shaped much like the letter _C_ in various orientations and widths. Gently curved lines appeared both within the circles and above them.

"Adric," he said, "how many distinct characters have you noted?"

Adric looked up. "More than fifty. Actually, each one seems slightly different."

"Yes. To represent a complex language, which surely this society possessed, there would be a finite set of characters. I don't believe that this is linguistic."

"No?" Adric had returned his attention to the pad.

"No. So that means that these must represent something else."

"Mmm," Adric acknowledged with little comprehension.

The Doctor watched the boy for a minute. Adric was obviously deep in thought, and he was clearly enjoying this challenging project. The Doctor glanced toward the large doorway and noticed that the light had changed. The sun was lowering in the sky. Evening was approaching rapidly, and he had not yet initiated the needed conversation with Adric.

He moved casually toward the lad then sat beside him.

"What do you think this room was used for?" he asked, sweeping a hand through the air.

Adric glanced up briefly. "Dunno. Maybe meetings." He lowered his head again.

"Hmm. I think you're right; there aren't any bathrooms or sleeping rooms attached. And this vessel," he pointed to a large, rounded basin in the center of the room, "may have been used for fires or possibly for some sort of offering." Adric did not acknowledge the comments, so the Doctor said, "Adric, stop your work for a moment, please."

Adric looked up. "Why?"

"I thought we might talk for a few minutes about these dwellings and the inhabitants."

Adric shrugged. "If you like, but I think I'm close to finding a repetitive pattern in these characters."

"Really?" the Doctor asked with interest.

The boy nodded.

"Wonderful work! But right now I want to discuss the people who lived here and their lifestyle. We can see from the dwellings that several people lived together—this was most likely the reason for the several bedrooms. I would guess that this was a fairly traditional society in which each family lived as a separate unit."

"I suppose so," Adric acknowledged with little regard. His fingers tapped the pad.

"A family," continued the Doctor, "would have been comprised of a man and a woman and their children."

Adric nodded briefly.

"At some point, probably during later adolescence, a young man and woman would likely form some sort of commitment, possibly through marriage, and become a couple who would later have children." He watched Adric, who showed little emotion.

The Doctor went on, "This reminds me, Adric, that you are at an age when you are experiencing many changes—"

Adric blinked. "Changes?"

"Yes, the changes that come with maturity—"

"Oh, yes. I know what you're talking about."

"You do?"

Adric nodded with some enthusiasm. "My mind is developing and expanding. I can understand concepts and logical relationships much better than I could a year or two ago."

"Yes. You have made the transition from concrete to abstract thought. But that's not really what I want to discuss."

"What is it, then?"

The Doctor's gaze wandered toward the doorway; he forced himself to look back at Adric. "At this age, it is not only your mind that is changing. You are developing emotionally and physically too—"

Adric took the pad in hand again and looked down. "I know that. I know what changes are happening."

"Of course you do. But do you have any questions about them?"

Adric stared at the paper. "No."

"Are you certain? You may be feeling things that are new or uncomfortable—"

"No, I'm not."

"You're not?"

It was now Adric who turned his eyes toward the doorway. "I mean I know what's going on. It's all just part of growing up."

"Yes, it is." The Doctor tried to smile. "But there is another piece to maturity that you need to understand. There is a... propriety, a set of standards if you will, to which a mature adult male must subscribe."

Adric appeared puzzled. "I don't know what you mean."

"Quite simply, Adric, you mustn't go about staring at young women—"

Adric sat up very straight. "What?"

"It is impolite to stare at Nyssa or Tegan—"

"I haven't!" Adric stood and walked toward the door.

"Adric," the Doctor said, standing too, "you have. It was Tegan who brought it to my attention."

"Tegan?" Adric felt his face grow hot.

"Yes. She noticed that you were looking at Nyssa rather... familiarly."

"I... I...," Adric stammered.

The Doctor placed a tentative hand on Adric's shoulder. The boy stepped away.

"There's no need to feel embarrassed," the Doctor said.

"I'm not!"

"Hmm. You're quite flushed at the moment, and I'm rather certain that you don't have a fever."

Adric leaned against the wall. "They must think me a stupid fool," he muttered miserably.

"What? No, I'm sure that's not the case. I don't think that Nyssa was even aware of it. Anyway, it's nothing to dwell upon. We've only got an hour or so of natural light left; let's continue working for a while longer."

The Doctor returned to the wall he had been studying, confident that the discussion had been successful. Adric knew now what the standards of politeness were, and surely there would be no further concern.

Adric retreated to the bench and took the pad in his hand. His cheeks still felt warm, and his concentration had vanished completely.

----------

When the interior of the chamber was too dim for further study, the Doctor ushered Adric outside into the twilight. They walked with little conversation toward the dwelling where Nyssa and Tegan worked. The Doctor's thoughts were focused upon the ruins; each home he passed ignited a new question in his mind.

Adric was still preoccupied with the Doctor's recent words. As they neared their destination, he stopped walking. He stepped inside a doorway, saying, "I'm going to stay in here tonight. I want to think about the characters by myself for a while."

"Aren't you hungry?" asked the Doctor.

Adric shook his head. "No, not really."

"That's a first."

Adric shrugged and disappeared into the home.

The Doctor continued ahead. After a few minutes he saw Nyssa and Tegan sitting on the ledge in front of the dwelling.

"Surely you haven't completed your work?" he asked.

They looked up at him. "No," replied Tegan, "it got too dark to see clearly."

"Where's Adric?" asked Nyssa.

"He's back there, still working on the characters." The Doctor pointed behind him.

"Doctor," said Tegan, "earlier today you said you'd brought some food. Isn't it about time for supper?"

"Indeed it is." He entered the dwelling and emerged a moment later with four small bars wrapped in gold foil. He handed one to Nyssa and one to Tegan.

Tegan turned the bar over in her hand. "It's not filet mignon," she said with some disappointment. The day's exertions had left her famished.

"No," responded the Doctor, "but it has all of the nutrients and calories of a well-balanced meal, and it is much easier to carry."

Tegan unwrapped the bar and took a small bite. Its taste was unusual but not unpleasing. She ate it quickly then took a swig from her flask.

"Have you finished your analysis?" the Doctor was asking Nyssa.

"Almost," she answered. "I'm going to perform one more test this evening. I'll let you know what I've found in the morning."

"And how are your sketches coming along?" he asked Tegan.

"I've copied one wall so far." She flexed her fingers.

The Doctor nodded. "Good. I'm going to take Adric something to eat. I'll spend the night with him in the dwelling down there." He reached inside the doorway and brought out a thin roll of fabric, about three feet wide. "I believe, Tegan, that you would consider this a sleeping bag. I've left one for you and one for Nyssa just inside. Good night."

As he turned to walk away, Tegan stood. "Doctor!"

He paused. Her voice contained the demanding tone that instantly caused him to bristle. "Yes, Tegan? What is it?"

"Did you talk to him?" she asked more softly.

He nodded.

"And how did it go?"

"Fine, Tegan, absolutely fine. I'll see you in the morning."

After he had taken several dozen steps, Nyssa said, "Is there something wrong? What were you and the Doctor talking about?"

"Nothing at all, Nyssa. Everything's fine now."

----------

Adric had slept fitfully, odd snippets of dreams storming through his mind then waking him with a jolt. He sat up for the sixth time; he felt strange, tingly sensations throughout his body. With a jerk, he realized that he had been dreaming of Nyssa.

The Doctor's words ran through his head: _It was Tegan who brought it to my attention... she noticed that you were looking at Nyssa... rather familiarly_.

Adric's face felt hot again. He looked around; the Doctor was nowhere in sight. He stood then, fully awake, his thoughts racing. Tegan had seen him looking at Nyssa. Surely Nyssa had noticed it, too. He had made an idiot of himself.

Looking outside, he saw that the sky was deep gray; morning was less than an hour away. He would soon have to face Nyssa and Tegan, who would surely think him an ogling fool. After less than a minute of thought, Adric took his pad and pencil and wrote a hasty note. He tore off the sheet and left it on the bedroll the Doctor had given him.

He began to walk along the narrow ledge, toward the rope ladder that still hung down the rocky face of the mesa. He had to move carefully; it was difficult to see in the dim light. He kept one hand against the wall to guide himself. After some time he saw the edge of the ladder; the white rope was visible against the dark stone.

Adric was only a few feet from the ladder when he heard a noise from inside the dwelling where Nyssa and Tegan slept. He froze and listened. Tegan was speaking. She and Nyssa must have awakened already. He could not make out Tegan's words, but she sounded angry. They must be discussing him. His cheeks burned, and his palms grew damp; he turned and hurried back along the ledge the way he had come.

Adric had walked less than ten yards when his foot slipped on a small rock on the path. He felt himself falling forward; his chest hit the hard stone with some force, and his feet slid backward across the smooth surface. With surprise, he felt his legs dangling over the rim of the ledge. His body continued to slide over the path. His fingers clawed at the air, finally hooking over the small edging that lined the pathway.

Adric hung over the edge, his feet dangling as he kicked at the rock, trying desperately to find a crack or crevice in which to wedge a toe. His fingers strained against the narrow rim, quickly growing numb with the pressure exerted on them. He was about to call for help when he felt his foot land on a small protrusion. With considerable relief he placed his other foot on the slight ledge and stretched upward to grasp the rim more securely.

Carefully he pulled his body up, bracing himself by pressing his feet against the rock wall. After some time he flung his arms onto the ledge, leaning forward to pull himself up fully. Finally he took a solid breath as he set his right foot on the path. He swung his left foot up, but it slipped against a smooth patch of stone. His body slid back almost instantly, and he plummeted from the ledge.

Adric cried out, grasping at rushing air. For a split second he felt his body hit something pliable, and he reached for it, but whatever it was lay many feet above him. He curled into a ball just before he slammed into the hard earth at the base of the mesa.

----------

The Doctor had wandered back to the large chamber once Adric had fallen asleep. He wanted to see the characters in the moonlight; perhaps this change in lighting would reveal some new interpretation to him. He had studied the carvings for some time when he heard a noise. It sounded like a cry. He stepped out onto the path and listened.

In the distance he could hear the plangent howl of wild dogs. No doubt they hunted for their meager prey during the nighttime. The Doctor returned to the dwelling to consider the characters once again.

----------


	2. Chapter 2

Adric's head was throbbing. He lay on his right side, and the only sensation he felt was pain. He forced himself to open his eyes, and he tried to call out, but his voice refused to come.

In the gray dawn light, he saw vague shapes moving toward him. He heard sharp barks and yips and saw the dogs' eyes reflected in the waning moonlight.

Adric shifted, testing his left arm and leg. They were sore but functional; he had not fallen directly on them. With a groan he turned over, blinking against darkness that threatened to steal his consciousness, and swallowing to refuse the waves of nausea that roiled through his stomach. When he had managed to roll onto his left side, his eyes searched the huge rock face. Only a few feet away there seemed to be an indentation in the rock. Perhaps it was a cave.

Adric dragged himself toward the hollow. Panting, with sweat and blood dripping into his eyes, he pushed himself into the indentation with his left leg. He blinked back tears as he realized that there was no cave, merely a concavity in the rock, less than three feet deep.

He could hear the dogs' breathing and their excited yaps as they neared him. Blood dripped into his eyes, and he shook his head to clear his vision. Deep red drops fell onto the smooth rock; they disappeared instantly into the stone. Adric pressed his left hand against the cool surface. Beneath his fingers he felt several bumps. He traced them with his fingertip. They seemed to be the same circular shapes that comprised the characters in the dwellings. There were three rows of them. Without conscious thought, his fingers touched two shapes in the top row, then two more in the second row. Finally he pressed his fingertips against three more figures in the third row.

With a gasp, Adric felt complete and utter darkness envelop him.

The wild dogs stood before the hollow, sniffing the air that still held the scent of their prey. In confusion and frustration they whined, finally loping away from the empty indentation in the rock.

High above, Nyssa lay awake on her thin bedroll. Tegan was talking in her sleep. She seemed to be immersed in a dream which involved some sort of argument. Nyssa thought of waking her friend, but after a few minutes Tegan slipped back into quiet slumber.

Nyssa closed her eyes, but a plaintive canine whine drifted up from somewhere below. The sheer desperation and sadness inherent in the noise sent a shiver along her spine.

----------

As daylight seeped into the dwellings, the Doctor stepped to the doorway of the large chamber and looked out at the pale blue, cloudless sky. He ambled along the path to the home where Adric had spent the night, calling the boy's name as he entered the dwelling.

"Adric?" he repeated, looking about. The bedroll lay on the floor, but Adric's notepads and flask were gone. A single sheet of paper was anchored to the bedding with a stone.

The Doctor bent to pick up the sheet, reading the words quickly. A scowl deepened into his brow as he left the home, walking briskly toward the dwelling where Nyssa and Tegan were. His hand clutched the note.

He found the young women awake. Nyssa stood near the back wall, gently scraping at the stone. Tegan was rummaging through the satchel. When he entered, she looked up, saying. "I don't suppose you thought to bring any coffee or tea."

"No," he said tartly, "I didn't. The caffeine would diminish the hydrating effects of the beverage you've been drinking. Have you seen Adric?"

Nyssa looked up from her work. "No, not since yesterday afternoon."

Tegan took a long drink from her flask. "He isn't with you?"

The Doctor shook his head soberly. "He wrote that he's gone back to the TARDIS." His gaze fixed on Tegan; he was frowning.

Tegan stood and pointed at the note in his hand. "Is that from him?" She stepped forward quickly and snatched the page from him, reading rapidly. She glanced at Nyssa then crumpled the paper into her palm.

Nyssa had ceased her work. "What's the matter?" she asked. "What did he write?"

Tegan shook her head. "He wants to work by himself for a while."

"That's strange," the young Traken said. "He usually likes our company."

The Doctor was still frowning at Tegan. "Come on," he said brusquely. "We're going after him."

Tegan could already feel heat oozing into the dwelling; the early warmth, she knew, was a precursor to another intensely hot day. She took another sip from her flask, then commented, "If he wants to be alone, maybe we should let him be."

The Doctor shook his head. "No. I don't want us to be separated while we're here. We all need to remain together."

He had already turned toward the doorway. Nyssa and Tegan followed him outside. He was checking the metal hooks that held the ladder in place against the rock.

"You first, Nyssa," he instructed. She began climbing down. The Doctor kept his eyes focused on Nyssa; Tegan could tell that he was avoiding her.

When Nyssa had descended half-way, Tegan said, "I suppose you think this is somehow my fault."

The Doctor's gaze remained on Nyssa. "It was you who insisted that I speak with him. His departure is obviously connected to the conversation."

"Exactly what did you say to Adric yesterday?"

The Doctor looked at her, finally; his expression was still dark. "We had a very rational conversation."

"Rational? I see. And how was he feeling afterwards?"

"He was fine." The Doctor's tone was adamant.

"Really? Are you sure?" Tegan's voice now had a hard edge. "I think if he'd been fine he wouldn't have gone off to the TARDIS alone so that ... how did he put it? '_So that Nyssa and Tegan won't have to be bothered by me anymore.'_ Please don't tell me that you let him know that I'd noticed his behavior."

"Of course I did!" the Doctor snapped. "It was you who insisted that I initiate the discussion with him—"

"But in a sensitive way! You weren't supposed to make him feel embarrassed or self-conscious!"

"If you hadn't forced me into the conversation—if you'd permitted me to handle the situation as I saw fit, this would not have happened."

"Oh no, Doctor, don't blame this on me!" Tegan's voice had risen considerably.

"Doctor!" Nyssa called from the ground. "Tegan! What's going on?"

The Doctor gripped the hooks tightly. "Climb down."

"Look, Doctor, I—"

"Just climb down, Tegan." His tone remained firm, and he kept his gaze focused on the ladder.

With a shake of her head, Tegan began to descend. When she reached the bottom, Nyssa greeted her with concern.

"Is everything all right?" Nyssa asked. "It sounded like you and the Doctor were arguing."

Tegan shrugged.

"Was it about Adric? What did he write in the note?"

Nyssa reached for the wad of paper sticking out of Tegan's waistband, but the Australian took a step back. "It's not important. He just said he wanted to work alone for a while."

Nyssa clasped her hands together. "Oh dear. He wrote something about me, didn't he? Did I do something to upset him?"

Tegan shook her head. "No, Nyssa, you didn't. It certainly wasn't you."

The Doctor was nearing them rapidly. Tegan stepped to the side and waited until he had reached the ground. When he and Nyssa began walking, she followed several paces behind, taking a long drink from her flask. The cool liquid was somewhat soothing and seemed to help her feel a bit calmer.

The Doctor and Nyssa focused their conversation on Nyssa's analysis of the rocks. Tegan could not hear all of their discourse, but snippets reached her ears. Nyssa was saying that the composition was fairly standard with one exception. She mentioned something about organic matter, but when she began describing the chemical structure, Tegan's mind wandered.

The day grew increasingly hotter. As the sun rose, heat seemed to radiate from the dry, red earth. Tegan's hair was plastered to her forehead, and her shirt was drenched. She lifted her flask once again, but only a drop fell from the tip. She shook the container in some disbelief; it was empty.

The Doctor and Nyssa were well ahead of her. She remembered his admonition to conserve the liquid; she did not dare tell him that hers was gone. Besides, when they reached the TARDIS she would simply fill her flask with water, which would certainly be sufficient to see her back to the dwellings. She trudged ahead, wiping her hand across her face to keep the sweat from dripping into her eyes.

Perhaps half an hour later, the Doctor and Nyssa stopped walking. Tegan had kept her eyes focused on the ground to avoid the wicked glare of the sun. She bumped into the Doctor's back abruptly, then took a step back with a brief, "Sorry."

"You really should watch where you're going," he chided.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked.

The Doctor's eyes swept over the arid earth. Small tracks left by insects, birds, and reptiles peppered the rusty dirt. "There are no new footprints," he responded. "Adric didn't come back this way."

"Maybe he took a different route," Tegan suggested.

The Doctor shook his head. "There would be no reason for him to do that. Following our tracks would be the easiest way to get back to where we landed."

"So you don't think he came this way?" asked Nyssa with concern.

"No," said the Doctor, "I don't."

"We're nearly back to the TARDIS now," said Tegan. "Let's just check to see if he's there—"

The Doctor had already turned around. "He's not. Come on. We need to retrace our steps and see if he veered off of the path at any point. I should have been looking for that earlier."

"But surely we can just check in the TARDIS—" Tegan began to protest. The empty flask dangled from her hand.

"No," the Doctor stated. "We can't afford to waste the time. It would require at least an hour round-trip, and if Adric is out here somewhere wandering in the desert we need to find him as soon as possible."

Tegan's throat felt impossibly dry. She croaked out, "But you could just move the TARDIS closer—"

The Doctor turned toward her. "I told you yesterday that I cannot do that without risking damage to the ruins." His tone reminded her of a parent lecturing a small, intractable child. "Come on."

He walked quickly back over the dusty path in the dry earth. Tegan stood still for a moment, gazing in the direction of the TARDIS. Perhaps she should return to it anyway. She was tired of the Doctor's attitude toward her. She had only meant to help Adric; any discomfort he drew from the Doctor's words was certainly not her fault.

Nyssa touched her arm lightly. "He's not really angry with you, you know."

Tegan scoffed. "He could have fooled me."

Nyssa shook her head. "He's just worried about Adric. He feels that we are all his responsibility—he's concerned that he hasn't lived up to that."

The young women began walking again. Tegan was frightfully thirsty, and she considered asking Nyssa for a sip from her flask, but she dreaded having the Doctor know that she had failed to conserve the precious liquid as he had instructed.

She trudged ahead in silence, wiping her hand across her brow as she had done every few minutes for the past hour. Her forehead was dry. At least, she thought, she had stopped sweating. That would surely conserve some of her body's natural hydration. She moved ahead in the shimmering waves of heat.

----------

Adric's consciousness returned to him gradually. Utter oblivion was replaced with vague sensation, and this seemed somehow to expand outward through his limbs into genuine pain. He remembered, then, that he had fallen a great distance and that he was hurt. His right arm and leg throbbed now, and his head ached fiercely.

Hesitantly he opened his eyes. A vast expanse of pale purple stretched across his field of vision. He blinked; perhaps he was dreaming.

He moved his eyes to the side and saw a blur of yellow. He forced his vision to focus and realized that a small clump of flowers grew near his head. Rolling his eyes forward again he saw the lavender sky arching overhead. To his left lay towering mesas, but they seemed somehow different from those he had explored. The rock was a deeper shade of red, nearly crimson. Perhaps this was merely a trick of the light. He had not seen the landscape of Anahsti in the morning yet.

Nearer to him he saw more flowers struggling upward in the dry, rosy dirt. He rolled his eyes up to see what lay above his head. A sheer, rough rock face stretched upward toward the sky. There seemed to be a deep shadow, though, sheltering his head. He moved his left hand and felt stone beneath his body.

The pain in his limbs was intensifying. In a weak voice he managed to call out, "Doctor! Nyssa!"

The effort exhausted him, and he permitted his eyes to close. When he heard soft voices and felt gentle hands touch his shoulders, he allowed himself to slip fully into sleep. He was in his friends' caring and capable hands now.

----------

Tegan shuffled behind Nyssa through the hot, dry sand. They had veered off of their path and were now making a large semi-circle in the hope of finding some trace of Adric. The Doctor was making a similar detour in the opposite direction.

Tegan kept her eyes on the ground. The dull colors seemed to blend together, and after a time she was aware of nothing but her own listless forward movement. A flash of Nyssa's foot would snake across her line of sight occasionally so that she knew in which direction to move; she had to follow Nyssa. That much she remembered.

There was something she had meant to ask Nyssa. For some time she tried to recall what it was, but her mind seemed to break the thought apart into ever more desultory fragments that floated away from her consciousness. When Tegan heard voices, she forced herself to look up.

The Doctor and Nyssa stood several feet from her, talking. She blinked and tried to listen to their words, but all she heard was the shifting of the sand under her feet.

"Tegan, please try to keep up." The Doctor's importunate voice was suddenly clear.

She lifted her eyes; her companions were walking ahead of her.

"It's so hot, and I'm tired," she heard herself say rather plaintively.

Without glancing back, the Doctor snapped, "We're all tired, but we have to find Adric. Come on."

Tegan moved forward, keeping her head down against the harsh glare of the sun. The light made her forehead throb, and she could feel her heart pounding. Again she thought that she needed to speak with Nyssa, but she did not know about what. Her empty flask was still gripped tightly in her dry hand.

When the mesa with the dwellings in which they had worked loomed above them, the Doctor stopped. He looked about, shaking his head in frustration.

"There is no trace of him between here and the TARDIS," he said to Nyssa. "He must still be here. Adric!"

Nyssa called out the boy's name, too, but their voices echoed and died in the expanse of space between the mesas. The Doctor walked toward the ladder then tilted his head back to gaze up the face of the rock.

"Nyssa, there."

He pointed to a small tree that had managed to grow outward from a crevice about half-way up the face of the mesa, perhaps twenty feet from the ladder. The slim trunk had snapped, leaving the scraggly head of the tree dangling.

"What do you think it means?" Nyssa asked.

The Doctor's voice was sober as he replied, "I'm afraid it means that he fell."

"Fell?" Nyssa pressed a hand to her chest. "From up there? Oh no. It's so far—"

He nodded somberly. "Yes, it is." His eyes began to search the ground. After a minute, he walked several feet and touched the earth. When he lifted his hand, Nyssa saw a smear of red across his fingers.

"It's blood," he said, then he looked upward again.

Nyssa had paled, but she said, "If he were hurt very badly he would still be here, wouldn't he? He wouldn't be able to move."

The Doctor was pointing at the ground. "There's more blood here. The earth has been disturbed, too. It looks as if he was able to move in this direction." After a moment he had positioned himself near the indentation in the rock.

Nyssa turned to beckon Tegan, who stood several yards away. "Tegan!" Nyssa called. "It looks like Adric fell."

Tegan took a step forward then sank to her knees.

"Tegan!" Nyssa began to run toward her friend as Tegan's torso slipped down to the ground.

"Doctor!" Nyssa yelled over her shoulder.

The Doctor turned to stare at the fallen woman, then he sprinted forward. Nyssa had dropped down beside her friend, cradling Tegan's head in her lap. She placed her hand on Tegan's flushed cheek.

"She's terribly warm," Nyssa informed the Time Lord as he knelt next to her.

The Doctor rested his palm against Tegan's temple, then he brushed his fingers over her forehead. "She's stopped perspiring," he said. His other hand pressed against her neck. "Rapid pulse—flushed skin," he muttered.

"What's the matter with her?" asked Nyssa. "Is it the heat?"

He looked up. "She has all the symptoms of heatstroke. I should have seen the signs earlier."

"But the liquid you gave us should have kept her hydrated," Nyssa said. She took Tegan's flask, which lay at her side, and shook it. "It's empty."

The Doctor snatched the container from her hand. "Foolish girl! If she'd done as I told her and taken small sips— Why doesn't she ever pay attention to what I say?"

Nyssa's expression showed concern and sadness. "Please don't be angry with her, Doctor."

He was lifting Tegan into his arms, but he offered a glance at Nyssa. "I need to move her to the shade," he said, already beginning to walk quickly toward the shadow at the base of the mesa.

Nyssa followed him. He set Tegan on the ground and quickly began unbuttoning her blouse. "Go up to the dwelling and get the extra flash from my bag," he said curtly, then he removed Tegan's blouse and handed it to the young Traken. "And saturate this with water. Your shirt, too."

Nyssa took the garment from him.

"Hurry, Nyssa! We haven't any time to spare!"

Nyssa obliged and hastened toward the ladder. She climbed quickly and dashed into the dwelling. A minute later she descended the ladder, carrying the two wet shirts and the Doctor's flask. She held Tegan's empty flask, now full of cool water, as well, but this she dropped over the ledge to provide herself with a free hand for climbing. When she returned to her companions, the Doctor was fanning Tegan with his hat. He took the shirts and tucked one around her back and under her arms and the other around her hips. He paused to touch her hand. Nyssa watched as he gently pinched the skin; it remained standing.

"She's very dehydrated," he said, moving to lift Tegan's head with his hand and rest it in the crook of his arm. He held the flask to her lips, parting them with his fingers and squirting a small amount of the liquid into her mouth. He stroked her throat, murmuring, "Come on, Tegan. Drink."

"Will she be all right?" Nyssa asked anxiously.

The Doctor did not look at her as he replied, "She really needs intravenous fluids, but we don't have access to that here."

"I could go back to the TARDIS—" Nyssa offered.

"No, there isn't time. We must rehydrate her immediately." He allowed a few more drops to fall between her lips.

"Keeping her cool is important too, isn't it?"

The Doctor nodded.

"It's much cooler in the dwellings. Perhaps we should take her up there. She'd be near the water, too. We could put her in a cool bath."

The Doctor frowned then glanced up at the broken tree. "I don't want to risk carrying her up."

"Could we make some sort of sling for her?"

The Doctor passed the flask to Nyssa. "Yes, that's a good idea. I'll see what I can do." He stood then bent to lift Tegan again. "I'm going to move her to that hollow," he nodded toward the indentation in the rock. "It should be several degrees cooler in there." He carried Tegan a few yards then settled her into the smooth concavity, once again arranging the wet garments over her body.

Handing the flask to Nyssa, he said, "Continue to give this to her." He walked away quickly.

Nyssa sat next to Tegan, dribbling liquid into her mouth. "You must drink this," she enjoined. "Please, Tegan, you must."

After several minutes, Nyssa was satisfied that Tegan had swallowed a good quantity of the fluid. The Australian's cheeks were still flushed and hot, however, and Nyssa thought that bathing her face in water might help. She stood to retrieve the flask that she had dropped; she could see that it had bounced several yards beyond the bottom of the ladder. She stepped away. "I'll be right back," she said gently.

Tegan was vaguely aware of Nyssa's voice, although she could not understand the words. Her eyelids were much too heavy to open, but her fingers moved slightly, caressing the sleek stone against which she rested. Beneath her fingertips she felt a small change in the texture of the stone; she traced over it. A flash of the carvings that she had copied in the dwellings entered her mind. Her fingers inched over the characters etched into the base of the hollow. She was not consciously aware of finding a pattern, but her hand seemed drawn to press against two characters in the top row, two in the second row, and three in the bottom row.

Tegan's eyes opened half-way as she felt her shoulders jerk back. The sunlight was extinguished in a sudden curtain of absolute darkness. Tegan gasped.

Nyssa bent to pick up the flask then turned toward the mesa. She blinked; the indentation in the rock was empty. For a split second she thought she saw a grayish mist floating in the hollow, but as she continued to watch, it dissipated in an instant. The flask dropped from her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

A smoky, sweet smell drifted around Adric, gently awakening him from a deep slumber. He opened his eyes expecting the see the white interior of the TARDIS. Instead he found that he lay on a low mattress in one of the cliff dwellings. The red stone walls assured him of his location. The Doctor must have brought him into one of the homes.

His eyes wandered downward, and he saw that thick cloths lay on his right arm and leg. These were soaked in saffron liquid, and they felt heavy. His limbs still ached, but the intense pain had diminished. His head, however, continued to throb.

When he heard footsteps approaching the open doorway, he exhaled a breath of relief. The Doctor, Nyssa, or Tegan would soon be at his side. He scowled slightly, though, as he recalled how he had offended the young women. He was not sure that he was ready to face either of them. He closed his eyes.

Someone moved to his side then lay a soft hand upon his cheek. He heard a voice, but he could not comprehend the words. Curious, he opened his eyes. A young woman sat next to him. Dark, glossy hair hung over her shoulders, and her skin was the color of copper. She continued to speak to him with gentle utterances, but he did not understand her.

"Where's the Doctor?" he asked.

The woman looked at him sympathetically and smiled, responding in more incomprehensible words.

"The Doctor," Adric repeated, "and Nyssa and Tegan. Where are they?"

The woman shook her head and rested her hand against his shoulder.

Adric asked once again, "Please, get the Doctor. The—Doctor." His voice rose in his efforts to be understood. He lifted his head, but the woman pressed her hand against his forehead to restrain him.

"No," he said, nearly shouting now, "you have to find them. The Doctor. Nyssa. Tegan."

The woman called out toward the doorway, and in a moment two other women entered. One held a clay cup; both spoke quickly to his caretaker.

Adric's agitation was increasing. He tried to sit, but a wave of pain washed over his leg and arm. Two of the women lay their arms across his chest, while the third held the cup to his lips.

"No," he pleaded, "I don't want it! Just get the Doctor!"

He felt liquid splash into his mouth as he spoke. He tried to resist swallowing, but he began to choke. He swallowed, finally; a bitter taste filled his mouth.

The women were all speaking now. Their words seemed to swirl around Adric. His mind was rapidly clouding, but a sudden thought struck him. He must be too far from the TARDIS for the translation circuit to function. This explained his inability to communicate with the women.

His eyes shot open as he realized that somehow he had gone a great distance from the place where he and his companions had landed. His sense of panic swelled, but only briefly. Within a few more seconds he had drifted into a deep sleep.

----------

Nyssa stood motionless, staring at the indentation in the rock face. The Doctor, his task completed, walked toward her.

"Why aren't you with Tegan?" he asked.

Nyssa's head turned very slowly toward him as she pointed at the mesa. "She's gone."

The Doctor's eyes darted to the hollow then back to Nyssa. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know. I just stepped away to get this water, and when I turned back around she was gone."

The Doctor was already searching the area with his eyes. "She can't have gone far. It's unlikely that she even regained consciousness. Did you see anything?"

"I..." Nyssa paused. "There was a sort of gray haze in the indentation, just for a second."

The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders and bent to look closely at her. "Has the heat affected you, too?"

Nyssa shook her head. "I'm fine. I've been drinking steadily all day."

He touched her cheek. "Your temperature appears normal."

"It is. I don't think I was imagining things, but maybe it was just a shadow."

The Doctor straightened. "Come on. She must be nearby. Tegan!"

They began searching for the second of their missing friends.

----------

Tegan felt cool and warm at the same time. She opened her eyes to find that her back rested against a smooth rock wall, while her legs were stretched out before her on sun-drenched stone. She lay in a small indentation; her head and shoulders were shaded by the narrow overhang above her.

She looked down and was somewhat shocked to see that she wore only her bra; something damp was draped over her shoulders. She still wore her skirt, but another wet cloth covered her lap. Quickly she crossed her arms over her chest, looking about in embarrassment. However, as her eyes swept the expanse before her she realized that she was alone. She sat at the base of a great mesa, and other mesas towered up in the distance, deep red against the lavender sky.

She blinked and looked at the sky again. It was indeed a pale shade of purple. As she continued to study her surroundings, she saw that the stone was a richer hue than that of the mesa where she had slept. There were more plants here, too; bright yellow flowers grew in large clumps all around her. She wondered how she had gotten to this place. Perhaps she was on the other side of the mesa.

Removing the cloth from her shoulders and laying it on the warm stone, she tried to recall the day. She had been walking in the hot sun with Nyssa and the Doctor; they were searching for Adric. She had been so tired and terribly thirsty. She remembered seeing the desert and stumbling forward, but she could bring forth few other memories.

She moved the wet fabric off of her lap and realized that it was Nyssa's shirt. The other garment was her own blouse. She saw that a flask lay on her leg. She took a drink, then she knew what had happened. She had become ill from the heat. She remembered the first aid lessons from her stewardess training; a person suffering from heat exhaustion should have cool, wet cloths placed around his or her body. She must have been overcome by the heat.

Tegan took another sip from the flask, careful not to drink too quickly. She felt weak and exhausted, but she was coherent, and she was not terribly warm any more. The air was cooler here, wherever that might be. Perhaps it was later in the day. But that still did not explain where Nyssa and the Doctor were. She called out their names, but her voice disappeared over the flat land.

She sat for some time, trying to regain her strength. After perhaps an hour she took her blouse from the rock; it was nearly dry. As she pulled it forward, it snagged on the rough surface of the stone. She lifted the garment carefully, avoiding a potential large tear in favor of a small rip. With a sigh she donned the blouse.

A tiny piece of fabric remained on the rock. Tegan squinted at it. It was beige; her blouse was lavender. She plucked the bit from the stone and studied it. There was something familiar about the color and texture.

"Adric!" she said aloud. She was suddenly quite sure that the fabric came from his shirt. She looked around, calling his name. There was no response, but as her eyes ran back over the stone, she saw large drops of dried blood.

Tegan stood; her legs felt a bit wobbly, but she was driven by the need to find her companions. She began to search the ground for any clues, and immediately she saw footprints. There were several sets, and more blood was visible on the dry, sandy soil.

Tegan took another drink then began walking forward, following the footprints in the hope that they would lead to her friends.

----------

The Doctor and Nyssa had searched perhaps a quarter mile on either side of the indentation in the rock, as well as the area before it. There was no sign of Tegan. They returned to the hollow and knelt before it. The Doctor ran his hand along the back wall.

"Perhaps this leads to a tunnel or a cave," he said, searching about carefully.

Nyssa ran a hand over the smooth stone. "It's definitely man-made."

"There might be some sort of trigger mechanism along here." He prodded about with his fingers.

"Doctor," said Nyssa, "did you notice these characters carved into the side?" She pointed at three rows of simple figures near the bottom of the indentation.

"Interesting," he responded, bending to study the area more closely. "This confirms that the inhabitants created this shelter, but I'm not sure why. And without understanding the meaning of the characters, we cannot determine their significance here."

Nyssa had leaned forward, too. Both she and the Doctor were well within the small confines of the hollow when they heard a sharp click behind them.

A deep voice instructed, "Turn around with your hands where I can see them."

The Doctor and Nyssa slowly turned to face the man who stood before them with a rifle aimed directly at the Time Lord's chest.

----------

Tegan had followed the footprints for some time. She could see now that they led in a straight line toward the base of a mesa that lay slightly to the right of the one under which she had awakened. She judged the distance to be less than two kilometers, but her rate of movement was slow. Despite her efforts to conserve the liquid, she found that the container was nearly empty.

Perhaps there would be water at the mesa toward which she headed. Certainly people lived there; the footprints she followed appeared human. The promise of water, and the hope of finding Adric, kept her pace steady.

As she walked, Tegan examined the landscape and plants. They were definitely different than those she had seen with her companions. The stone here was a deeper color, and more flora could be seen, although the environment was still primarily desert. Then there was the lavender sky: She was not sure of the significance of this.

After a time, Tegan forced herself to focus her thoughts on Adric. She had a vague sense of knowing that he had fallen and must be badly hurt. Had Nyssa told her that? She could not recall.

She continued walking, now able to discern the dwellings in the cliffs high above her. She was tiring, though. She drank the last of the liquid then permitted herself to sit beneath the shade of a tree with odd, prickly branches. She leaned against the trunk. The sun was so bright, and her eyes were tired. She closed them for just a moment of relief. The warmth and her exhaustion immediately lulled her to sleep.

----------

"What are you doing here?" The barrel of the rifle moved from the Doctor to Nyssa as its bearer questioned them.

"We're doing some research in the ruins," the Doctor answered reasonably.

"Research? Lemme see your permit." The rifle jerked back to point at the Doctor.

"Permit?" the Time Lord repeated. He patted at his pants pockets. "I don't seem to have it with me at the moment."

The rifle jabbed the air in front of the Doctor. "Then show me your landing stamp."

Nyssa and the Doctor exchanged a look. "I'm afraid that we don't have one," he answered.

"No landing stamp?" The man's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he pulled back the hammer on the gun. "Then how the hell did you get here? Everyone gets a stamp when they land at the port."

"We landed in the desert, over there," said the Doctor, lifting his hand to gesture across the land. The rifle, however, was thrust forward toward his chest again, so he kept his hand at his side. "We were not aware that we needed a permit to land. I can assure you, however, that we're just here to study the carvings—"

"That's enough!" The stranger poked the Doctor in the ribs with the rifle, eliciting a small grunt from the Time Lord.

"Come on," the man said officiously.

"Where are you taking us?" asked Nyssa.

"And on whose authority?" added the Doctor.

The man reached into his pocket and withdrew a silver badge. He held it toward them. "Sergeant Modory, Ministry of Environmental Preservation."

They noticed now that he wore a drab gray uniform with forest green stripes down the legs and over the shoulders. A patch bearing a logo similar to that on his badge adorned his chest.

"Come on," he said again, nudging at Nyssa with the gun.

"But we need to find our friends—" she protested.

Modory reached out a hand to shove her forward; she stumbled and fell to her knees. The Doctor helped her up, saying, "There's no need for this kind of treatment. We won't harm you, and we're entirely unarmed. As my companion said, two of our colleagues have been lost. One is badly injured, and the other is ill. Have you seen either a boy or a young woman?"

"Keep quiet," Modory ordered, poking at the Doctor's back with the rifle, "and hold out your hands."

He snapped handcuffs around the Doctor's and Nyssa's wrists, then instructed, "Go."

They walked a few paces ahead of him for several minutes before the Doctor spoke again. "We really must find our companions as soon as possible. They're in great danger—"

"Serves them right for coming here. That's why no one's gotten a permit in over fifty years," said Modory.

"Fifty years?" echoed the Doctor.

"I told you to be quiet, and I mean it." Modory's tone brooked no argument.

"But where are we going?" asked Nyssa, less familiar with the inferential aspects of human speech than her companion.

"To my base. Now keep your mouth shut!"

The Doctor looked at Nyssa and murmured, "Keep quiet for now."

She understood and walked in silence.

----------

Tegan was drawn out of her slumber by voices. She awoke nearly instantly, quickly recalling that she was in a strange and possibly dangerous place. Late afternoon sunlight streamed over the land, and for a moment she could not see clearly in the brightness. She blinked and lifted a hand to shield her eyes.

Four men stood before her. They wore simple breeches made of softened animal hides; beaded necklaces hung over their bare chests. Each man's hair was long and glossy black, and their skin was coppery, nearly shimmering in the light. Each held a long spear, all four of which were pointed at Tegan.

She began to stand, but the men spoke sharply to her. Their words, however, were unintelligible. Tegan shook her head and said, "I don't understand."

One of the men gestured with his spear; she understood that he wanted her to rise. She obeyed, and two of the men moved behind her, giving her a slight push with their hands to encourage her to walk forward. She saw that they were leading her to the base of the mesa.

"Do you know Adric?" she asked, hoping they might recognize the name, but they shook their heads somewhat sternly and prodded her forward.

They walked quietly, Tegan unsure what else to say since she did not speak their language. While the men did not treat her roughly, their spear points remained close to her back, so she felt a distinct sense of threat. As they approached the long ladder that led up to the dwellings, she saw that their community was similar to the one where she had slept the previous night. She felt a small thrill of fascination in seeing the living version of the ruins; she smiled ruefully, thinking that the Doctor's notions were beginning to influence her.

Two of the men climbed the ladder deftly while the others remained at the base of the mesa, urging Tegan upward with words and gestures. She placed her foot on a low rung; the ladder felt quite sturdy, fortunately. She climbed upward.

When she reached the wide ledge at the top of the ladder, she stood looking around. Rows of open doorways lined the mesa as far as she could see in either direction. The exterior walls of the homes were constructed of red earthen bricks; interior walls appeared to utilize the natural stone. Clay pots holding bright flowers adorned the pathway, and people walked along carrying baskets and jugs. Tegan thought that this lofty village was quite lovely.

She had little time for admiration, however. Soon she was taken by the arm and led along the pathway to a large dwelling about twenty yards from the ladder. She entered to find a well-furnished living and dining area complete with a wooden table and benches, a counter carved into the stone with a variety of vegetables laid out upon it, and several long seats padded with animal skins against the walls. More flowers and small desert plants sat on the surfaces in beautifully painted pots.

One of the men remained with Tegan while another left. He returned soon with a much older fellow whose demeanor immediately struck Tegan as regal. The man was tall and stood very straight. His long hair hung in two braids over his broad shoulders, and at least a dozen brightly beaded necklaces covered his chest. He positioned himself before Tegan and spoke to her firmly. Something in his manner reminded her a bit of the Doctor.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand," she said.

He seemed to repeat himself, scowling slightly at her inability to comprehend. She sensed from his inflection that he was questioning her.

"I don't understand," she repeated, then added, "but maybe you can recognize the name Adric?"

He fixed his gaze on her and shook his head.

"Adric? No? How about the Doctor or Nyssa?"

He turned to one of the other men and spoke to him. He hurried away. Tegan and her inquisitor stood silently for some time until a young woman entered the home. The man nodded at Tegan and touched his chin then tilted his hand outward. Somehow she understood that he wanted her to repeat herself.

"Do you know the Doctor or Nyssa?" she asked slowly.

The woman seemed to lean in for a moment, then she whispered to the man, who stepped aside. The woman took Tegan's arm very gently and led her outside and down the path. They walked some distance then entered another dwelling, somewhat smaller than the one in which she had just been. The woman ushered Tegan through a doorway then backed away.

Tegan gasped. Adric lay on a thick mattress on the floor. His right arm and leg were covered in heavy cloths, and a deep, long gash was visible across his forehead. Immediately she knelt beside him and said his name. His eyes were closed, and he did not respond.

"Oh Adric," she said, "what have they done to you?"

She touched his cheek; his skin was warm and slightly flushed. She thought that he had a mild fever. Gingerly she lifted the cloth from his arm and then the one from his leg. Both limbs were badly swollen.

She found a blanket against the wall and rolled it lengthwise; she recalled from her first aid training that broken limbs should be elevated. Carefully she lifted his arm and leg onto the roll. Adric stirred with a slight moan and opened his eyes.

"Adric!" Tegan rested her hand on his shoulder. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Tegan?" His voice was hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled sadly. "I could ask you the same question."

He shook his head slightly. "I don't know."

"You've been hurt," she said. "Are you in pain?"

Adric lifted his head to look down at his injured arm and leg. "Some. Can you tell how bad it is?"

"I think your arm and leg are broken, and you've hit your head."

He closed his eyes. "I fell."

"Where?"

"Where we were working."

"When did this happen?"

He opened his eyes again. "I'm not sure. It was the night we arrived."

"I think that was yesterday. But you left a note saying you were going back to the TARDIS. What happened?"

Adric's reasons for parting from his friends returned to him, leaving his cheeks burning. He did not answer her question; he turned his head to look away. "Where are the Doctor and Nyssa?"

"I don't know. I'm not even sure how I got here, and I don't really even know where we are. But Adric, how did you fall?"

He closed his eyes once again. "I'm tired, Tegan."

She could see the distress that creased his young brow. "Then sleep. I'll be right here."

"No, you don't have to stay."

He felt her hand grasp his. "I want to."

"Please, Tegan, I just want to be alone right now."

"All right," she said slowly. "But I'm going to wait just outside. Try to get some sleep." She stood and walked out of the room.

----------

Sergeant Modory prodded his captives forward, rounding the north edge of the mesa and heading out into the desert, in the opposite direction from their landing spot. The Doctor and Nyssa had walked some distance when they saw a small building in the middle of the desolate landscape.

"Is that where we're going?" asked the Doctor, turning his head slightly to address Modory.

"Yeah," was the gruff reply. "I'll radio the base in the city."

"How far away is that?" the Doctor inquired.

"Sixty kilometers."

"Do you work alone out here?"

Modory snorted. "Yeah. But finding the two of you will put a stop to that. Catching unlicensed trespassers should get me a promotion and a position in town."

"Really," said the Doctor, "we didn't know we were trespassing—"

"No more talking! Just walk." The gun dug into the Doctor's back momentarily.

As they neared the building, they could see that it was a simple stone structure with a heavy metal door in the front. Modory unlocked this with a large key then ordered Nyssa and the Doctor inside. In the back corner they saw a cell.

"In there," the sergeant instructed, the rifle once again serving as an indicator of his wishes.

The Doctor and Nyssa moved toward the cell. "There's no need to lock us in here," said the Time Lord.

"Huh!" Modory opened the door then removed the handcuffs from his prisonsers. "Get in."

The Doctor and Nyssa stepped forward.

"Truly," said Nyssa, "we didn't mean to break the law—"

"Well you did, didn't you? And don't go thinking that you can sue our government because something happened to your friends. You went there at your own risk."

The Doctor stood just inside the cell; Nyssa was by his side. "Why would we sue your government?" he asked.

"It's been done before. People go out there and get lost, and somehow we're supposed to be responsible for it. But you're trespassers. You won't have any rights."

"So other people have gotten lost at the ruins?" asked Nyssa, placing a hand on the side of the door.

"Look, missy, I've had enough conversation for today. I have to call headquarters. Keep quiet."

"But if others have become lost—" Nyssa began; however, Modory turned and slammed the door shut. Nyssa yelped in pain as the heavy portal hit her hand, still resting against the frame.

Modory spun around to stare at the young Traken. She had blanched and was blinking back tears as she pulled her hand back to cradle against her chest.

"That was entirely uncalled for!" the Doctor reproved angrily.

Modory shrugged. "Just keep her quiet while I'm on the radio." He stalked away as Nyssa sank onto the single bench at the back of the cell.

----------

Tegan sat at the table near the entrance to the dwelling. The woman who had brought her to this home had offered her food and drink as soon as she left Adric's side. The cool water was wonderful, and a deep pink, sweet yet tart juice was also given to her. The woman set a plate of cooked vegetables resembling squash before her, too.

Tegan ate hungrily and consumed an entire pitcher of water in a few minute's time. The woman smiled at her and refilled the pitcher from a large jug near the door. Tegan realized that these homes did not have running water. This was one difference between them and the ones in which she had sketched. The larger difference was the absence of elaborate carvings here. A few simple characters adorned the walls, but the rich, complex designs found in the other dwellings were absent. To Tegan it seemed as if someone had made a very half-hearted attempt to place a handful of characters about the room, but they lacked any beauty or depth.

After some time, her hostess prepared a large bowl at the counter then carried into Adric's room. Tegan followed, anxious to be sure the boy was treated well. The woman set the bowl on the floor and removed the cloth from Adric's arm. She soaked it in the bowl then replaced it.

Adric's eyes were open, but when he saw Tegan he closed them. This action was not lost on her, although she did not apprehend its significance. Perhaps he was simply in too much pain to acknowledge her. He appeared to be in good hands, however, so Tegan returned to the table and sat. Now that she had been sustained with food and drink, her mind felt much clearer. She was able to consider her situation fully.

Adric was badly hurt; she knew that for a certainty. It would be best, of course, to get him to the TARDIS and the Doctor, but she doubted that he could travel in his condition, at least not for some time. Thus, her best recourse was to bring the Doctor here, but she still did not know where she was. She could see that daylight was waning; darkness would set in soon. She knew that she needed to return to the area from which she had come; perhaps her friends were just on the other side of that mesa. Regardless, in the morning she would have to walk back and try to find the Doctor and Nyssa.

Her mind was clear, but Tegan's body was tired. She felt her eyelids drooping and her head falling forward. When she was helped upward then led to a soft pallet on the floor, she did not protest. She would need a good rest for the difficult task tomorrow.

----------

The Doctor sat next to Nyssa on the bench. She still clasped her wrist, fingers on the injured hand slightly open.

"May I see it?" the Doctor asked gently, reaching for her arm.

A bit of color had returned to Nyssa's cheeks, but she was still pale. The Doctor could see that she had managed to calm herself considerably. She relinquished her hand to him. He ran his fingers softly over the delicate bones and moved her fingers and thumb.

"There's nothing broken," he reassured her.

She nodded in relief.

"The third and fourth metacarpal are badly bruised, though," he added. "You're going to have some swelling and pain for several days."

"I'll be all right," Nyssa said.

"Of course."

The Doctor gave her a brief smile then shifted his gaze to Modory, who stood at the desk in the center of the building. He held a microphone in one hand and pressed an earpiece against his temple with the other.

"... two trespassers," he was saying, his voice loud and self-important. "Yeah, I caught them at the ruins. No permit, not even a landing stamp. Threatening?" He glanced at his captives. "Yeah, they could be. But I've got them locked up." His listened for several seconds, nodding then scowling. "But they don't have a permit! No ID either. They could be up to anything... Uh huh. Right. Understood. Out."

Modory gave the power switch on the radio a vicious flick and ripped off the headpiece, flinging it to the desk.

The Doctor stood and walked to the cell door. "Is there a problem, Sergeant?" he asked amiably.

Modory spun around. "That's none of your concern."

"Actually, I believe that it is. It concerns Nyssa and me quite directly."

Modory glared at the Doctor, then his eyes moved to Nyssa. She still sat on the bench holding her hand against her chest. Ignoring the Doctor's comment, he said gruffly, "You two better settle in. You're going to be here for a while."

"For how long?" asked the Time Lord.

Modory scowled. "Until my supervisor can get someone out here to take you to town."

"And when might that be?"

"Maybe tomorrow night or the day after."

"Ah," said the Doctor, "then we are not a priority. I see."

Modory scowled more deeply. "The Ministry's very busy right now. They'll come for you when they can."

"So, it seems that we don't present quite the threat that you thought."

Modory glowered at the Doctor. "They'll be grateful to me once they've seen you. You're trespassers, two-fold, and that's not taken lightly here."

"Oh no," said the Doctor, raising an eyebrow, "I can see that. Sending someone to get us in a day or two shows just how serious it is."

"Enough!" Modory yelled. "You just be quiet. Her too."

The Doctor nodded. "All right. Just one last thing. We could use some water. It was a long walk here, and we're not accustomed to this heat."

Modory's eyes narrowed, but he turned toward a small spigot on the wall and poured a stream of water into a large mug. He handed this to the Doctor through the bars.

"Thank you," said the Doctor, wrapping his fingers around the cup. "Ah, it's quite cool." He stepped to the back of the cell and offered the mug to Nyssa. She took several sips.

The Doctor did not drink any, but he removed a handkerchief from his pocket and dipped it into the water. "This should help with the swelling," he said, laying the small cloth over her injured hand.

"Thank you." Nyssa looked out toward the desk where Modory sat making a pretense of shuffling through a stack of yellowed papers. "Doctor," she said softly, "how are we going to get out of here? We have to get back to the mesa and find Tegan and Adric."

The Time Lord nodded. "We will. I have a plan."

Nyssa leaned forward and whispered, "Yes? What is it?"

With a smile, the Doctor sat down next to her, saying, "Just wait. It will all become clear soon."

----------

Despite her fatigue, Tegan slept fitfully. She awoke after about an hour in some confusion. Looking about, she recalled where she was. The house was quiet, and she heard little noise from the rest of the village. There was a small glow of light from the entrance of the dwelling; Tegan thought that it was made by a candle.

A movement in the entryway caught her attention briefly. She watched for a minute then saw that a man stood just outside the door. He held a spear. He paced to the side then returned to the center of the doorway. Tegan had a distinct feeling that he was guarding the house. She recalled hearing wild dogs during the night at the other mesa; she wondered if some animal posed a threat here. Or perhaps there was another sort of human enemy. A small shiver ran through her, thinking of the long walk she had made across the desert, completely unprotected. In the morning she would have to take this same walk.

She heard a noise from the room where Adric lay. She thought that he had moaned. Tegan sat, preparing to go to her companion to offer some comfort. As she stood, she noticed another motion at the exterior door. The man had stepped inside partially, and he was watching her.

She shook her head and gestured toward the room. The guard did not respond to her; he crossed his arms over his chest, the spear gripped in his right hand. She noticed that his position blocked the door nearly completely. If he were trying to keep something out, surely he would want to keep his eyes fixed outside. With a knot forming in her stomach, Tegan began to wonder if he were trying to keep something, or someone, inside. If that were the case, she had a fairly solid idea of who that someone was.

Feeling somewhat like a prisoner, Tegan walked softly toward Adric's room. She did not look back at the guard. She found Adric asleep. A cup lay next to the bed. She sniffed it then wrinkled her nose. There was an acrid smell that made her eyes water slightly. The mere fumes sent a small wave of dizziness through her.

"Adric," she said, shaking his uninjured arm gently. He did not stir. She repeated his name but received no response. She could see that he was breathing slowly. She rested her hand against his chest. She felt his heart beating, but it too seemed sluggish.

Tegan glanced back at the cup. Adric had been drugged. Fighting back her immediate response of anger, she remembered that he was badly hurt. Perhaps the drug had been given as a palliative measure. Still, he seemed too deeply asleep for her liking. She determined that she would instruct him to avoid any medicines in the morning.

Tegan found herself beginning to doze at Adric's side. She pulled herself upward and returned to the pallet she had been given. The guard stepped back outside when she lay down, but he was quite obviously watching her.

Wondering what sort of threat she could possibly pose, her thoughts grew hazy and sleep washed over her.

----------

Modory gave up his useless paper shuffling after a few minutes. He stood and looked out the single window in the building. The sun was lowering, sending a golden shaft of light through the small pane of glass; dust motes danced in the beam. The sergeant ambled toward the door.

"Sergeant," the Doctor called from the cell. "Are you going outside?"

Modory spun around. "Why? You think you can escape while I'm gone? That lock's solid iron. You're not going anywhere." Absently he patted at his hip pocket, where he had dropped the key after locking the cell door.

"I wouldn't dream of trying to break out," the Doctor said innocuously. "I was hoping, though, that you could bring me something from outside."

"Oh, and what would that be? A large rock maybe?"

"Nothing of the kind. I simply need a few small flowers."

"Flowers? Feeling a need to brighten up the cell, are you?" Modory scoffed.

"Hmm, it could use a bit of cheer. But I was planning to use the flowers to make a dressing for Nyssa's hand."

Modory scowled again. "Is it broken?"

"No, but the bones are bruised. This particular flower has anti-inflammatory properties; an infusion made with it would relieve her pain considerably."

Modory looked again at Nyssa. She still held her hand gingerly. With a slightly softer tone of voice, the sergeant said, "What's this flower look like?"

The Doctor replied, "It grows on a gray stalk, and the petals are bright yellow. Several flowers grow on each stem. I noticed quite a few as we were walking here. They shouldn't be difficult to find."

"How many do you need?"

"Four or five stalks should be sufficient."

Modory nodded curtly then walked through the door.

The Doctor continued to look out into the room. Nyssa said, "Can you get the lock open?"

He turned his head toward her. "No. If I still had the sonic screwdriver perhaps I could... We'll need to get Modory's key."

"How can we do that?"

The Doctor smiled cryptically. "The process has already begun."

----------


	4. Chapter 4

Modory returned after a few minutes with a fistful of flowers. He held them up. "Are these what you wanted?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes." He extended a hand through the bars.

The sergeant gave his prisoner the blooms, glancing at Nyssa as he did. "These'll help her?"

"Yes, quite a bit. Thank you." He sat down again and took the cup in his hand. "Do you want any more water?" he asked Nyssa.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

The Doctor set the cup on the bench then began pulling the flowers off of their stems. He crushed the petals between his fingers then immersed them in the water. He lifted Nyssa's hand to remove the kerchief, asking, "Is the skin broken?"

Nyssa replied, "No."

He nodded at her then dipped the handkerchief into the ochre water. When it was saturated, he wrapped it gently around Nyssa's hand.

"How does that feel?" he asked somewhat loudly. His eyebrow twitched upward as he spoke.

"The same—"

He shook his head slightly and mouthed, "Better."

"Oh," Nyssa responded. "It... it feels much better."

Modory had returned to the cell; he stood watching his prisoners. "Is it working?" he asked.

The Doctor stood. "Yes. Thank you for bringing us the flowers."

Modory shrugged then cleared his throat. "Listen," he said slowly, "I didn't mean to hurt you." He directed his gaze toward Nyssa.

She nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll be all right," she said softly.

"Sergeant," the Doctor said, slipping his hands into his pockets, "I wonder if you could do one more small favor for us." He sensed the man's brief remorse.

Modory looked at the Time Lord. "What? I'm not unlocking the door."

"I wouldn't dream of asking. I understand that we've broken the law, inadvertently as it was. No, I was hoping that you could help us to understand just why it is that such a law exists. You mentioned that in the past people had been hurt at the ruins?"

"Not exactly," Modory said.

"No? What happened then?"

Modory walked back to his desk and sat in the chair. "People seemed to have a way of disappearing out there."

"Disappearing? Where did they go?"

The sergeant shook his head. "The last group to go out there was fifty years ago. I only heard about it second hand."

"Of course, but what did you hear?"

"There was a group of five or six archaeologists. One of them just vanished; the others couldn't find any sign of him."

"Was he with them when he disappeared?"

"How would I know? I told you, I wasn't there—I wasn't even born then."

"Are there any records of the event?"

Modory's eyes wandered to a file cabinet against the wall. "Could be. I've never checked."

"Could you check now?"

"Why are you so interested in this?" Modory's expression darkened with suspicion.

"We've told you that two of our companions are missing. If this has happened before, we may be able to learn something from accounts of the event."

"Huh." Modory swung his legs up to rest his feet on the desk. "The light's not good here after dark. I only run the generator when I'm using the radio. The records are old and faded. Maybe I can take a look in the morning."

"But our companions—" the Doctor began to protest.

Modory interrupted, "Aren't going to be found by you or anyone else tonight. Hell, if they're like the others who disappeared, they won't be seen again, ever."

"How many people have vanished from the ruins?" asked the Doctor.

Modory scratched his head idly. "I can't say—enough that the Ministry started requiring permits releasing us from liability." He shook his head. "Damn fools. They think it's our responsibility when their carelessness results in disaster."

"Is there any evidence that anyone was careless?"

"Look, I've told you all I know. I'm supposed to see that you get at least two meals a day while you're here—humane treatment of prisoners and all that." He stood and walked to a small cabinet against the wall then withdrew a large can. "But no one says it has to taste good."

With a small snort, he opened the can and poured a brown, gelatinous mass onto a plate then set a spoon on the edge of it. He carried this to the cell and slid it under the gap at the bottom. "You better eat it. It's all you're getting 'til tomorrow."

He returned to his desk and his paperwork. This time, however, he seemed to write something on a tablet.

The Doctor offered the plate to Nyssa. She shook her head.

"One of us had better eat at least a little," the Doctor said in a low voice, glancing at Modory. "We need him to take back this plate."

Nyssa gave the Doctor an inquisitive look, but he simply held the plate closer to her. She took the spoon and scooped up a bit of the concoction. With some hesitation she put the spoon into her mouth. She scowled faintly, but she managed to eat several more spoonfuls.

The Doctor was watching Modory, who still wrote at the desk. He had lit an oil lantern, and he squinted slightly in the wan light. The cell had grown dim as darkness fell outside. The Doctor took the cup in his hand and dipped a finger into the deep yellow liquid inside. He touched this to his lip and grimaced.

"Are you finished?" he asked Nyssa, still keeping his eyes on Modory.

Nyssa stood. "Yes."

He nodded. "Sergeant," the Doctor said.

Modory looked up.

"We're done with supper." He gestured toward Nyssa, who held the plate in her hand.

"So?" was the man's indifferent response.

"Could you take the plate away?"

Modory shook his head. "And I suppose next you'll want me to turn down your bed."

"That would require covers, and we don't seem to have any in here," the Doctor replied sardonically.

Modory looked back at the tablet on his desk. "I'll get the plate in the morning. Anyway, you may want some more of that."

The Doctor turned back toward Nyssa. She could see that he was momentarily disappointed; he had wanted Modory to take the plate from him, although she was not sure why. However, the tone of voice and facial expression he used when he asked her a question a moment later clearly told her to acquiesce to whatever he said.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked somewhat quietly.

"Oh—yes, I am, terribly." She spoke loudly. "I'd really like some more water."

The Doctor held the cup in his left hand and pressed in closely toward the bars. "Sergeant," he said, "I'm sorry to bother you again. But Nyssa needs some more water; today's walk has left her a bit dehydrated, I'm afraid. Could I trouble you to empty this and refill it with fresh water?" He pushed his hand through the bars, still gripping the cup.

Modory grunted. "Yeah, fine. But after this you're settling in for the night."

"Absolutely."

Modory walked to the cell and reached for the cup. The Doctor's right hand shot out from between the bars and grasped the sergeant's wrist while he flung the contents of the cup into Modory's face. The sergeant bellowed and pressed a hand to his eyes.

The Doctor gripped Modory's wrist more tightly and drew him toward the cell, dropping the cup and reaching out to clamp his left hand around the man's other arm.

"Nyssa!" the Doctor instructed, "get the key from his pocket."

Nyssa quickly stood and reached between the bars. Modory was cursing and groaning, still grinding his palm against his eyes, but he was aware that his prisoners were attempting to escape. He tried to twist away from the Doctor's grasp, but the Time Lord's hold was tenacious.

Nyssa's hand slipped into the sergeant's pocket, and she retrieved the key. Immediately she reached around to unlock the door.

Still holding Modory, the Doctor pushed his body against the door, and it swung outward. Modory kicked at the Doctor, landing a sharp blow to his shin. The Doctor stepped back, loosening his hold slightly. Modory's hand reached for his throat. Nyssa had slipped behind the Doctor and exited the cell. She stepped across the room and picked up the rifle.

As Modory gripped the Time Lord's throat, she cocked the gun. "Step back," she ordered.

Modory's eyes swam with tears, and his vision was blurred, but he recognized the click of the rifle. He dropped his hand from the Doctor's neck and took a step backwards. With a cough, the Doctor quickly moved out of the cell and pushed Modory inside. He turned the key in the lock then dropped it into his own pocket.

"Is this the only key?" he asked.

Modory was still pressing his hands over his streaming eyes. "Damn it! What was in that cup?" he growled.

The Doctor replied, "The infusion I made from the flowers. I'm afraid I mislead you slightly. The petals contain a highly astringent agent that does little to reduce swelling, but produces a considerable sting when coming into contact with mucous membranes or open skin. Nyssa, would you bring the sergeant a cup of fresh water so that he can flush out his eyes?"

Nyssa set the rifle against the wall then poured water into a glass and handed it to the Doctor. Modory reached for it, but the Doctor stepped back. "First I'll need you to empty your pockets so that I can be certain that this is the only key you have."

"Damn you!" Modory lowered his hands and turned out his pockets, cursing all the while.

"Thank you," said the Doctor, holding out the cup to him. "I'm afraid that your eyes will be quite painful for the next hour or so, but I assure you that there will be no permanent damage. You've still got most of the food you gave us, and I'll leave the water pitcher for you. I can't say that you'll be entirely comfortable in there until your colleagues arrive, but I'm sure you'll survive."

Modory continued to utter expletives as the Doctor set the pitcher just outside the cell, within easy reach of the sergeant. Taking the lantern, he said to Nyssa, "Come on."

"Doctor, shouldn't we check the files?"

"Oh, yes, Nyssa, we should."

He went to the file cabinet and set the lantern on top of it. He searched about for a minute or two then produced a thin, dusty folder. He flipped through it, his eyes skimming over the faded words.

"Is there anything helpful?" Nyssa asked after a minute, looking over his elbow.

"Possibly. Sergeant, we're going to have to borrow this, but I'll leave it for you at the ruins. Thank you for your hospitality, such as it was."

The Doctor tucked the folder inside his waistband and took Nyssa's arm to usher her out the door into the blackness of the desert night.

----------

The Doctor and Nyssa had walked for perhaps fifteen minutes when Nyssa asked, "Doctor, do you know which direction the mesa is?"

The Time Lord held the lantern in his hand; it flooded the ground around them with a circle of yellow light.

"I believe that the mesa lies in this direction; as long as we walk with our backs toward the sergeant's building we should find ourselves in the general vicinity. And if that should fail, we can always follow our own footprints."

He lowered the lantern slightly. Nyssa could see tracks on the sandy ground. In the distance she heard a mournful howl; she shuddered slightly.

"Maybe we should have waited until morning to return," said Nyssa.

"Hmm?" The Doctor seemed immersed in thought.

"Doctor, is it safe out here at night?"

"Safe? I should imagine so. It is considerably cooler than during the day, which makes the trip easier for both of us."

"But nocturnal creatures will be out."

"Yes. However, the poisonous reptiles and insects will be dormant, so we won't need to worry about them."

"Poisonous reptiles and insects?"

The Doctor waved a hand. "Really there is just one snake and one arachnid, as far as I know. Both are quite shy and only strike when threatened."

"What about the wild dogs?"

As if in answer to Nyssa's question, another canine cry floated across the open desert. The Doctor stopped walking to listen. A second cry, and then a third, came from different directions.

"Hmm," said the Doctor thoughtfully. "It sounds as though they're communicating with each other. Most likely they're forming a hunting pack; I imagine that they'll be out for most of the night."

"Is there any chance that they'll try to hunt us?"

"I should think it rather unlikely. They won't like our light, and undoubtedly they prefer smaller prey."

Nyssa and the Doctor walked quietly for several more minutes. The dogs' cries seemed to increase, and Nyssa felt that they were coming closer. To distract her thoughts from the canines, she asked, "Was there anything helpful in the file?"

The Doctor patted the folder in his waistband. "Perhaps. I'll need to study it more carefully, but I know now that fifty-six years ago a group of archaeologists from Earth came here; the year, in Terran time, was 2094. There were five of them, all from the University of Arizona, in America. They had been at the ruins for two days when one of the members, a graduate student named Adam Martin, disappeared. His colleagues reported that he was working near the base of the mesa alone. Several hours later, when the group met to discuss the day's results, they found that he had vanished. They searched for a day on their own, then they notified the authorities—Modory's predecessors—who conducted a search for five more days. No trace of the man could be found."

"But did they have any ideas about where he went?"

"No. There was something in the file about an injury he had sustained two days before disappearing—he had cut his leg, I believe. There was some conjecture that the wound may have become infected and caused him to become delirious, thus wandering away. But his colleagues did not believe this to be true. They said that he had seemed fine on the morning of his disappearance."

"And he was never found?"

"Apparently not. The file was stamped 'case closed: unsolved' three months after the disappearance. There didn't seem to be any additional information."

Nyssa shook her head. "If whatever happened to him happened to Adric and Tegan—"

The Doctor stopped her. "We mustn't presume that it has. We haven't yet made a thorough search, and we may have an advantage over previous searchers."

"What is that?"

"We have the TARDIS. I can scan the area for biosigns—"

"But you said you couldn't bring it any closer for fear of disturbing the ruins."

"That is true. However, I think that I can remove an element or two from the scanner to create a portable device."

They continued walking. The dogs' cries were growing closer; each wail sent a chill up Nyssa's spine.

"How much further are the ruins?" she asked after a time. A particularly eerie howl left a slight tremulous note in her voice.

"Perhaps a kilometer." The Doctor held the lantern up, but the light extended out only a few feet in front of him.

"Are you certain that we're going in the right direction?"

"Few things can be considered an absolute certainty, Nyssa," he replied cheerfully. "However, I believe that we are on the right track."

The next howl seemed very near by. Nyssa moved closer to the Doctor. "Perhaps we should have brought Sergeant Modory's gun with us," she said.

The Doctor glanced at her; her eyes were wide. "Nyssa, you're not one to use violence," he said mildly.

"Oh," she said, "I wouldn't shoot the dogs! I'd use the gun to scare them off; that's all."

"As I told you, I don't believe they'll harm us."

Suddenly Nyssa gripped his arm and stopped walking. "I think they intend to try."

Perhaps a dozen pairs of eyes glowed in the faint moonlight, outside the small circle of lantern light. Nyssa could hear the animals breathing, and a few growls arose from deep within their throats.

The Doctor held the lantern up again; the light spread out on the ground. The dogs backed away, but they remained just outside the ring of light. Several yipped in anticipation, and one particularly bold fellow stepped forward into the light, teeth bared, to stare at his prey.

The dogs were large; their heads rose nearly to Nyssa's chest. They were lean but powerfully built, with solid hind legs and muscular shoulders. A single dog clearly had the strength to overwhelm a human; a dozen canines possessed the power to kill a small group of people.

The Doctor swung the lantern around, distributing the light in a wide arc across the desert floor. The dogs continued to back away, but with each sweep of the light they seemed to move less.

"We need fire," the Doctor said crisply. "Quickly, Nyssa! See if you can find anything on the ground that will ignite."

Nyssa's eyes searched the sand. She bent to reach for a single small twig. One of the dogs snarled at her, darting out toward the light. The Doctor shook the lantern; the canine growled but took a step back.

"There's nothing here!" she cried in frustration.

The Doctor pulled the file from his waistband then opened the small door on the front of the lantern and ripped two sheets from the folder. He touched these to the flame; they ignited immediately. He dropped the paper to the ground. For a moment a flame leapt up into the air. The dogs yelped and ran back toward the darkness.

The Doctor grasped Nyssa's arm. "Run!" he shouted.

He and Nyssa bolted across the desert, the light bobbing in the Doctor's hand, splashing across the sand haphazardly in all directions.

"Can we outrun them?" Nyssa gasped out.

"I don't know, but we have to try."

Nyssa's legs burned with her exertion. The Doctor's stride was much longer than hers, and she fought to keep up with him; his hand on her arm continued to wrench her forward. The dogs' cries resounded behind them, drawing nearer with each howl.

The soft moonlight had shown open space before them for some time. Now, Nyssa thought that there was a change in the light ahead. There seemed to be obscurity before them.

"The light, Doctor!" she panted. "Up ahead."

He held the lantern up once again, but the light flickered. Nyssa looked up to see the flame growing smaller by the moment. Darkness began to surround them.

"Doctor!" Nyssa wheezed.

"The oil's burned up," he cried. "Keep running!"

Nyssa was gasping for air, and her legs threatened to collapse under her with each step. She did not know how much further she could go, but the howling behind her drove her forward into the darkness. Aware that she was tiring, the Doctor forced himself to slow slightly. His hand remained around her arm.

A sharp barking directly behind the pair told them that the dogs were on their heels. "Hurry!" the Doctor urged, pulling her along with him as his pace increased.

"I—can't," she gasped.

The Doctor wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her slightly as he ran. Her feet barely touched the ground. Nyssa tried to breathe. Her vision was blurred; she blinked dully, aware of the sand scraping at her toes and the dogs barking only feet behind her.

Suddenly the Doctor stopped. Nyssa felt herself released as the Doctor pressed her against something very large and solid.

"We've reached the mesa," he said, working to catch his breath.

"The—ladder?"

"I don't know. I think we're on the back side," he panted.

She saw his arms reaching upward; his pale shirt was visible in the moonlight. Less than ten feet away the dogs' eyes shone in the light, too.

"Up, Nyssa!" The Doctor lifted her. "Catch hold of that protrusion—above your left hand."

Nyssa reached up. She felt a section of rock jutting outward and grasped it, crying out in pain as the bones and muscles in her injured hand shifted with the movement. She looked down to see the dogs' eyes at her feet. She felt something grab her boot; she kicked her foot and lifted it, pulling herself upward despite the throbbing in her hand. Teeth scraped against her leg.

"Nyssa! Come on, pull yourself up!" The Doctor was beside her, pushing at her hips with his hands to urge her upward. With a final, excruciating tug Nyssa heaved her shoulders over the small ledge. She tried to swing her legs up, but they were restrained. Two dogs had caught hold of her; their strong jaws gripped at her ankles.

"Get down!" the Doctor shouted at the animals, swinging the dark lantern at them in an attempt to frighten them away.

Nyssa struggled to lift her legs, but the dogs' weight began to pull her down. She could see the animals' eyes glowing by the Doctor's feet; she wondered briefly if they held his legs, too. Suddenly a small flare of light leapt from the Doctor's hand then dropped toward the ground. She felt her ankles released and quickly swung her legs up onto the ledge. In a moment the Doctor had joined her.

Both sat panting for nearly a minute. The dogs cried in frustration six feet below them. They watched in silence as several of the larger canines tried to leap up or climb the rock face. However, the stone was slick and nearly vertical, and the animals' attempts were momentarily unsuccessful.

The Doctor began feeling about on the ledge, finally touching an old bird's nest. It was large and very dry. He struck another match and held it to the twigs. As soon as the nest ignited, he dropped it. The dogs yelped and skittered away.

"Will they come back?" Nyssa asked, finally able to breathe. She held her aching hand up on her knees; both she and the Doctor had folded themselves against the narrow rock shelf.

The Doctor looked down. "Yes, as soon as that burns out." The light from the flame permitted him to examine his immediate surroundings. Several feet above the ledge was an opening in the rock. He stood and peered inside.

"It's a cave," he told Nyssa. She stood as well, and he helped her to climb into the small shelter then scrambled in beside her. The cleft was narrow, perhaps five feet wide, and less than five feet high, but it permitted sufficient space for both to sit completely inside.

The Doctor shook the lantern and tilted it sideways, then he lit the wick with another match. A small flame illuminated the cave. "We should have at least a few more minutes of light," he said. He turned his attention to Nyssa, then. "Are you all right? Were you bitten?"

He was bending to look at her feet and ankles, running his hands over them.

"I don't think they broke the skin," she said. "My boots must have stopped them. Did they bite you?"

The Doctor looked down at his feet. A layer of reddish dust clung to his boots and pants, but there was no sign of blood. "No," he responded.

Nyssa let her head fall back against the wall, pulling her knees up once more to provide a surface on which to rest her hand. The Doctor noticed her movement and the way she held the wounded appendage.

"Have you hurt it again?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. I think it was just the motion of grabbing the rock. I'll be all right."

He nodded. "I'm sorry that the infusion I made didn't really help with the swelling or pain."

"It helped us to get away; that's much more important What was it?"

"The flower was in the calendula family."

Nyssa nodded tiredly in acknowledgement.

The Doctor looked out at the dark sky. "We'll have to remain here until dawn. The dogs won't leave us until then. Why don't you try to sleep for a while?"

Nyssa was utterly exhausted, but her hand throbbed. She doubted that she could sleep through the pain. She drew her knees in closer, wincing with the motion.

The Doctor was watching her. "It hurts quite badly, doesn't it?"

Nyssa nodded in defeat. "Yes. I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

The Time Lord took her arm in his hand. He placed his thumb on her forearm, just below the elbow. Nyssa watched his movements with interest. She felt his thumb press into her skin, painfully hard for the briefest moment, then his fingers seemed to reach through her arm from the other side. She gasped. He pulled his fingers away.

Nyssa lifted her hand. "The pain is gone," she said with genuine surprise.

"Only temporarily, I'm afraid," he acknowledged. "And I can only do that once without risking nerve damage. But the numbness should remain long enough for you to get some sleep."

"Where did you learn that?" she asked.

"It is a combination of techniques from various places—China, early Gallifrey.. ."

Nyssa permitted her head to lean back against the wall. "Will you show me how you did it?" She yawned.

"Gladly, but some other time."

"Mmm," she began to reply, but she had already drifted into sleep.

----------


	5. Chapter 5

Tegan awoke at first light. She lay for several minutes listening; the house was quiet, and she heard little noise from the village. She looked toward the doorway and was somewhat surprised to see that the sentry was no longer blocking the entrance. Perhaps he had, in fact, been guarding against something from the outside.

She rose and crept into Adric's room. He still slept, but his breathing was more normal and his heartbeat was somewhat faster.

"Adric," she whispered near his ear.

She saw his eyes move beneath his lids, so she said his name again and shook his shoulder lightly. He opened his eyes and looked at her groggily.

"Tegan?" he croaked.

She noticed that a cup of water sat on the floor next to him; she tasted it first to be certain that it contained nothing else. Then she lifted his head and held the cup to his lips. He drank several swallows, and his eyes became clearer.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Sort of numb."

She nodded. "They gave you something that knocked you out completely. I don't think you should drink anything else they offer you unless it's water."

Still somewhat bleary, Adric blinked at her. "We're still with them? The strangers, I mean?"

"Yes, but I'm going to go back to where I woke up and try to find the Doctor and Nyssa. I'll be gone for a while, but I think you'll be safe here. Aside from drugging you, they seem to be taking good care of you."

Adric closed his eyes. "I think it was for the pain."

Tegan placed her hand on his cheek. "Is it bad?"

Adric turned his head away. Her touch left him embarrassed, remembering how uncomfortable he had made her and Nyssa.

"I'm sorry," Tegan said. "Have I hurt you?" She withdrew her hand.

"I just—" he stammered. "I'd just rather you didn't do that."

Tegan placed her hands in her lap. "All right. Anyway, I'll be back as soon as I can."

She stood, but he turned his face back to her. "Wait, Tegan. I don't think you'll be able to find them anytime soon."

"It's a long walk, but it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours—"

"No, that's not what I mean. I don't think we're anywhere near them. We must be very far away."

"They're probably just on the other side of the mesa—"

"No, they're not. Didn't you stop to wonder why we can't understand these people? We've never had that happen before."

"Well, their language is really different, I suppose—"

"That's not it. It's because we're too far from the TARDIS for the translation circuit to work."

Tegan's eyes widened in understanding. With a shake of her head, she said, "Why didn't I think of that? How far away do you think we are?"

"I don't know, but it must be awfully far—farther than a day's walk, I'm sure."

Tegan thought for a minute. "Well, you and I both got here somehow, so there must be a way back. I still think I need to return to the mesa where I woke up. I found a piece of fabric from your shirt there. That must be where you arrived, too."

Adric nodded. "I woke up outside, somewhere else, not in here. I think they found me and brought me here."

"All right. I'll be back as soon as I can." Tegan clasped his hand briefly then walked toward the door, turning to give Adric a reassuring smile as she stepped through the doorway. He had closed his eyes again, and his cheeks were flushed.

She hurried toward the outer door, determined to find the Doctor and Nyssa at all costs. Adric clearly needed them. The house was still quiet, and Tegan paused for a moment to take a small jug from the table and fill it with water. When she stood up from the large water container, she found the guard stationed solidly at the doorway once again.

"Excuse me," Tegan said, gesturing for him to move.

He shook his head and turned the spear to block the door completely.

"Look, I need to go," she said, trying to indicate this with her hands.

The guard spoke sharply to her and tilted his head toward the back of the room. With a sinking heart, Tegan realized that her first impression of this man had been correct: He was here to keep her inside. She took another step toward the door, but the guard quickly lifted the spear and pointed it at her.

Hands gripped her shoulders from behind. Fear swept over Tegan; she was trapped, and she had no idea why.

----------

Nyssa awoke to the gray dawn light creeping into the small cave. Her head rested against the Doctor's shoulder, and her hand was propped up against his chest. He sat with the file folder open in his hands, spectacles balanced on his nose as he squinted slightly in the dimness.

Nyssa lifted her head and twisted her shoulders; they were stiff from the night's exertions. The Doctor turned his head to glance down at her.

"Good morning," he said.

She smiled, glad for the daylight and relieved to know that, for the moment, she and the Doctor were safe.

"Are the dogs gone?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. They departed about half an hour ago."

"I didn't hear them during the night."

"No? You were sleeping quite soundly. How does your hand feel?"

Nyssa flexed her fingers slightly. "I'll be all right."

"I'm sure you will be, but that doesn't answer my question."

"It's still sore."

"Has the sensation returned completely?"

She nodded. She could see that the back of her hand had swollen during the night, and a deep bluish bruise had formed.

"It will heal more quickly if it's immobilized," he said. "I'm sure we can find something to use as a splint on our way back to the dwellings." He tucked the file back into his waistband.

The Doctor shifted around, swinging his legs out from the mouth of the cave. In a moment he had dropped to the ledge. He helped Nyssa from the cave then to the ground. The morning grew bright as they began to walk.

"The dwellings should be on the other side of the mesa," he was saying, eyes alternating between the ground and the rock face to their left.

"Did you find anything else useful in the file?" Nyssa asked.

"No." The Doctor's tone contained disappointment. "Perhaps I shouldn't have burned those pages... There was mention of other similar disappearances, however. As Sergeant Modory indicated, at least a half a dozen people have vanished from the vicinity of the dwellings."

"Where could they have gone?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Possibly into the mesa, through some sort of hidden passageway." He stopped and bent to the ground. He held up what appeared to Nyssa to be a reed covered in holes. It was about two inches wide and four inches long. The Doctor ran his fingers over it, commenting, "Quite smooth, and just the right size, I think."

"What is it?" Nyssa asked.

He held the object between his hands then stuck his thumbs inside it, snapping it in two lengthwise. "It's a cactus rib," he said. "Actually, it's the fibrous interior of a cactus—all that remains after the flesh has disintegrated. The material closely resembles wood, but it is quite light. It should make a passable splint."

He placed the two pieces against Nyssa's palm; they extended upward to touch her fingers. He wrapped his handkerchief around her hand, securing the splint to her palm. They continued walking, now looking carefully at the rock face for any signs of openings or evidence of their friends. After a time they rounded the edge of the mesa and walked toward the section containing the dwellings. They found no trace of Adric or Tegan, and both felt discouraged when they reached the ladder.

Once again they called out their friends' names, and again only a faint echo of their own voices responded. They climbed up into the dwellings to continue their search on the slight chance that Tegan or Adric had returned, but the houses were empty.

By mid-morning they had set out for the TARDIS, the Doctor intent on fabricating a portable scanning device. They grew quieter as they walked, both becoming increasingly concerned about their missing companions. Both knew that Adric had been hurt badly from his fall, and that Tegan had been terribly ill from the heat. The Doctor and Nyssa both feared for their friends' lives if they were not found soon.

----------

Tegan sat morosely on the pallet against the wall. After the guard had blocked her passage, her hostess had guided her back to the bed. Tegan had not been mistreated; indeed, she had been given a breakfast of thin, flat bread with a sweet, orange jelly and more of the slightly sour, pink juice. The woman had not threatened her, but still, Tegan felt discouraged by the guard's continued presence. Clearly she was to be kept in this dwelling, although she could not imagine why.

Her hostess had gone into Adric's room shortly after dawn to reapply the saffron liquid to the cloths covering his leg and arm. She had then busied herself about the house, preparing the food for Tegan, weaving some dried grass into a basket, and attending to the flowers that grew just inside the doorway in clay pots. Now she sat at the table grinding some grain with a mortar and pestle.

Tegan had grown impatient and resentful of her captivity. She stood and approached the woman, saying, "I need to go back to the mesa where I woke up," gesticulating toward the doorway and beyond. She knew that her words were meaningless, but she could think of no other way to communicate.

The woman looked up at her, watching her hands motion toward the door. She shook her head and said something; her tone was kind yet firm.

"Look," Tegan said, her voice becoming insistent, "I have to go back and get the Doctor. Adric needs his help." She motioned toward the room where the boy lay, then again out toward the ground below. "Please, you must let me go."

Tegan stepped quickly toward the doorway. A new sentry had taken over and now stood several feet to the left of the door, talking with another man. Tegan looked to the right; she saw no one in the immediate vicinity. Without hesitation, she dashed out the doorway.

The woman called out sharply, but Tegan sprinted forward along the stone pathway. She dodged several women who walked along carrying baskets. Her eyes scanned the edge of the path, looking for a ladder to take her to the ground.

She heard shouting behind her, but she continued to run. After a minute she saw the top of a ladder, less than three yards ahead of her. She hurried toward it, falling to her knees and grabbing at the top rung. She swung her legs over the ledge just as strong hands gripped her wrists and pulled her upward, back onto the path.

"Let me go!" Tegan demanded, writhing against the grasp of the sentry. She kicked at his legs, but he held her fast.

Her hostess appeared next to the guard. The regal man to whom she had been taken the previous day was beside the woman; his expression was stern, and he had crossed his arms tightly over his chest. He and the woman spoke. Tegan felt that she was pleading with him, but he seemed firm in his responses. Finally, however, she thought that he relented. She saw him nod and drop his hands to his sides.

The woman placed her hand on Tegan's arm, pushing the guard's hand away. She said something to Tegan in a tone that seemed explanatory, then she led Tegan down the path. The guard and the stately man followed closely behind.

They walked for some time, finally stopping before a dwelling at the far end of the village. Tegan noticed immediately that this home, unlike all of the others, had a door across the front. It was constructed of long, narrow pieces of light colored wood, and a bar was drawn across it, secured in a hole in the stone at the side of the doorway.

The guard removed the bar and stepped back as the other man pushed the door open. The woman led Tegan inside. She found that the dwelling resembled the others, with a simple table, bench, and stone counter along the back. The open door allowed light to flood the room. In a corner, along the wall, Tegan saw a pallet much like the one upon which she had slept. A figure rested upon it, half sitting against several cushions.

The woman gestured toward the pallet and pushed Tegan forward gently. She stepped toward the figure. She could see that it was an elderly man. His eyes appeared to be closed; she thought that he was sleeping. As she neared him, he stirred.

The woman spoke to him; she seemed to call him by name. To Tegan's ears, the word sounded like Ah-dahm.

The man's eyes opened fully, and he looked up at Tegan. He appeared disoriented at first, blinking in the light then reaching out to clasp Tegan's hand. She knelt before him and gasped; his eyes were bright blue. As far as she could tell, all of other inhabitants of the village had brown eyes. She could see, too, that his skin was fairer than that of the others.

He spoke to her in a gravelly, weak voice; his fingers seemed to close over her hand more securely.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I don't understand."

He blinked at her again, then he closed his eyes. His brow wrinkled in concentration, and his lips moved silently for nearly a minute. Finally, he said, "You—speak—Eng—lish."

Tegan rocked back on her heels. "Yes," she responded with considerable surprise. "I do."

"Where—from?" His lips seemed to twist with the effort of speaking the words.

"I'm from Earth."

He looked at her quizzically. "Earth?" he repeated, then he closed his eyes.

"Please," she enjoined, reaching out to shake his shoulder gently, "help me. Help me to communicate with them. I have to leave—"

His eyes opened. "Leave?" The word seemed almost foreign to him.

She nodded vigorously. "Yes. My friend is here, but he's hurt badly. I have to go back to where I woke up and find the Doctor—"

"Doctor?" he asked slowly. "Doctor of Philosophy." He nodded, his gaze wandering toward the ceiling. A small smile played on his lips. "Research for it." He nodded again. "Doctor."

Tegan was confused by his rambling words. However, his knowledge of English gave her hope that he could help her to speak with her captors. "Listen," she said, "please help me. Please tell them to let me go."

"Oh." His blue eyes fixed on her. "They will not... let you go. They want me to tell you that." He glanced up at the two villagers.

"Why not?"

"No," he shook his head, "no, never go. You will stay—years and years and years."

"Is that how long you've been here? Years and years?"

He smiled sadly. "Years and years. The moons have waxed and waned, and the years have gone away."

"Where did you come from?"

He cocked his head. "Where? Me?

"Yes. Are you from Earth? You speak English—"

"Earth. Yes, the planet Earth, so long ago..." His eyes closed, and his head lolled back against a cushion on the wall.

"No," Tegan said firmly, giving his thin arm a small shake. "Come on. Ah-dahm. Is that your name?."

His eyelids rose and a dry chuckle rasped from his throat. "Ah-dahm. Yes, that's what they call me. But it's Adam—it was Adam, long ago."

"How did you get here?"

His gaze was unfocused, but Tegan leaned in toward him. She looked directly into his eyes. "Tell me how you got here," she instructed again.

His forehead creased, and he tilted his head to the side. "From the ruins. I came from the ruins."

"On Anahsti?" Tegan's voice rose in anticipation.

"Anahsti? Yes, that was the name." He rocked forward, clasping his hands. "Anahsti, and the ruins. Doctor—Doctor of Philosophy. That's what I was going to be, from studying the ruins."

"So you were a student?"

He looked at her in confusion; his eyes had lost their focus, and she could see that he was tiring quickly. However, Tegan felt that she could not allow him to rest until she had secured more information from him, and, she hoped, assistance in telling the others to release her.

"Adam!" She rested her hands on his cheeks; his skin felt like delicate parchment.

His eyes rose languidly to her face. He smiled puerilely then uttered several words in the native language.

"Adam," she said again, "please tell them to let me go."

His expression showed confusion. "Let you go? They can't. You are a gift from the stone—you can't go."

"Please just ask them."

He shook his head. "They won't let you. It's no good. You have to stay."

"For how long?" Tegan's tone was bordering on panic.

"Forever." His eyes closed and his head fell forward; he was asleep.

Tegan shook his shoulder, but her hostess drew her away, speaking softly yet admonishingly. Tegan sensed that the woman was protecting Adam. Indeed, she sensed a vague reverence for the man from all present in the room.

The woman led Tegan back to her own home. The guard followed closely behind and once again positioned himself at the doorway. Tegan went to Adric immediately and found that he was awake.

"Adric! There's someone here who speaks English!" she told him, sitting down next to the mattress.

"Really?" he asked. His voice was tired, and his eyes appeared dull; she wondered if he had been drugged again.

"Are you all right?" She looked closely at him then lifted the cup next to his bed to sniff it. The same acrid smell met her nose. "Adric," she chided, "I told you not to drink anything but water."

"They made me," he said helplessly. "But I spit some out. I didn't drink it all."

"All right. I'll stay in here with you from now on so that they don't give you anything else."

"But Tegan," he muttered, a note of desperation in his voice, "it helps with the pain."

She leaned forward to stroke his forehead. "Of course," she said gently. "But I don't like the way it leaves you. I'm afraid it might be harming you. Can you try to go without it?"

He nodded. She held a cup of water to his lips and encouraged him to take a deep drink. This seemed to revive him slightly.

"Did you go... back to where you woke up?" he asked, struggling to recall the previous afternoon's conversation.

"No. They wouldn't let me leave. But they took me to an old man; he's locked up in a home way down there." She gestured toward the edge of the village. "He's from Earth, but I think he's been here a long time. He's terribly confused—rather senile, I guess. But he was on Anahsti doing research years ago."

"Anahsti? So he got here somehow, too. Did he tell you how?"

She shook her head. "No. He was sort of in and out of it. I'll try to talk to him again later."

"Did he tell you anything else?"

"I asked him to tell them to let me go, that I had to leave, but he said they won't."

"Why?"

"I don't know. They've treated us well enough. And they seemed to have some sort of deep respect for him. It doesn't make sense. We haven't been threatened, but we aren't permitted to leave."

"How long has he been here?"

"I'm not sure, but he said he was a student doing research when he arrived, and he's at least eighty now."

"So he's been here at for fifty to fifty-five years."

Tegan smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "That's our Adric—always first with the calculation."

He flushed slightly and seemed to turn away from her touch.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked, pulling her hand back.

"No—you just—just please don't touch me."

Tegan remembered that he had made a similar request the day before. "What's the matter, Adric?" she asked, concerned by his behavior.

"Nothing. I'm just tired still."

"Then rest. I'll just sit here."

He glanced at her. "You don't have to stay."

"I told you I would so that they won't give you any more of this." She pointed at the cup.

As his mind had grown more lucid, Adric had recalled with increasing discomfort his conversation with the Doctor while they worked at the ruins. "I'd rather be alone."

Tegan was growing slightly piqued; she was trying to help him in the best way she knew. "Look, Adric, if there's something else you want me to do for you, just tell me. I know I'm not the most comforting person in the world... I'm sure you'd rather that Nyssa were here—"

"No." Adric's voice seemed to shake slightly.

"Well, the Doctor then, although I wouldn't exactly call his manner soothing, though he'd certainly know how to help you better than I can..."

"Just—" Adric's jaw clenched. "Please, just let me sleep."

Tegan nodded. "All right."

"And you really don't have to stay. You can watch from out there, can't you?"

"Are you sure?"

"I really just want to be alone. I can rest better that way."

Tegan stood. "Call me if you need me."

She walked out to the large common room. Her hostess was working at the counter, preparing a noon meal. Tegan sat at the table and watched the guard as he paced before the door. With a sigh, she rested her chin on her hand. At the moment there was little she could do aside from keeping Adric safe. She recalled, then, Adam's word: _forever. _

Her hand fell to the table, making an angry thump. _Forever_ was simply not an option.

----------


	6. Chapter 6

The cool interior of the TARDIS had been a welcome relief to Nyssa and the Doctor, but they did not linger in its comfort. The Doctor quickly detached the necessary elements from the scanner and assembled them in a metal case. He switched on the device and nodded in satisfaction as it emitted two beeps.

"It seems to be working," he said. "One signal for each of us."

"I'm glad," Nyssa responded.

She hoped sincerely that the machine would detect indications of life at the ruins. She tried not to consider the possibility that no signs would be found. She stepped to the door and waited anxiously for the Doctor to join her. However, he set the scanner on the console and walked toward the hallway.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "Shouldn't we return to the ruins as soon as possible?"

"Yes," he said, already partially through the door, "but I want to bring a few more supplies."

He returned several minutes later with a cloth shoulder bag. Nyssa could see the outlines of various objects through the soft fabric. The Doctor took the scanner then opened the door.

"What did you get?" asked Nyssa as they stepped out into the heat once again.

He hesitated in his response. "When we find Adric and Nyssa, I want to be certain that we are fully prepared to assist them."

Now Nyssa paused before speaking; she was loath to verbalize the thoughts troubling her mind. "Do you think," she began slowly, "that they're all right? Adric must have been hurt very badly, and Tegan seemed so ill."

"Without knowing where they are, I cannot answer that, Nyssa. We must keep hope, though." He handed the bag to her, adding, "I've brought another bottle of hydrating liquid for you. Be sure to have some as we walk; I don't want you to become ill."

Nyssa found the bottle and removed it. She took a sip, recalling how weak and hot Tegan had been the previous day. Despite the intense heat, a small shiver ran up her spine.

The Doctor and Nyssa covered the area between the TARDIS and the ruins faster than they had on either of their previous trips. They spoke little, allotting their energy to the brisk walk. By the time they reached the mesa, Nyssa was tired, but she did not complain.

The Doctor set the scanner on the ground and switched it on. Immediately a double beep sounded. Nyssa held her breath, waiting for a third and fourth beep. The machine, however, was silent.

"Doctor?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

He shook his head and moved the device. "It's picking up only us. Perhaps the rock is blocking the signal. Let's try moving this closer."

He lifted the scanner and took it to the base of the mesa. It continued to emit a double beep, but other signs of life were absent.

"Doesn't it register animals?" asked Nyssa.

"No, I've adjusted it to detect only humanoid life forms. Others would be too distracting." He fiddled with the switch, but the signal did not change.

Nyssa, discouraged and now growing alarmed, sat on the ground heavily. "Where are they? Where did they go?"

The Doctor sank down next to her. "There are really only two possibilities. Either they were taken away from here, or they are still somewhere in the area but are undetectable."

"Could the dogs have taken them?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. There would be prints all around if that were the case."

"So if they were taken away, it was by someone or something that left no tracks. Who could do something like that, and how could it be done so quickly? I truly had Tegan out of my sight for only a few seconds." She bowed her head and added, "This is my fault. I shouldn't have left her."

The Doctor turned his head to look at her. "No, Nyssa, you're not to blame. If anyone is, I am."

"You?"

He nodded. "I should have seen the signs of impending heat stroke. I was so focused on finding Adric that I ignored Tegan. She said that she was tired, and I knew she was having troubling keeping up with us, but I thought she was just... being Tegan."

"You were angry with her, weren't you?"

He scowled. "Angry? I'm not sure I would use that word. Perhaps vexed—"

"You and she were arguing just before we left the mesa. What was it about?"

Nyssa's expression showed a glowing trust in the Time Lord who sat next to her. There was an ingenuousness, too, that prevented the Doctor from answering her with full honesty. "It's not important. Now, we know that Tegan was out of your sight for only a few seconds, and we see no tracks except for ours. This information seems to point us away from the idea of abduction."

"So she and Adric must be here somewhere!" Nyssa raised her hands in frustration.

"We need to check the rock carefully. There is a possibility that the inhabitants created some form of hidden passage. There may be a pressure point that opens it."

Nyssa stood immediately and hurried to the hollow where she had last seen Tegan. "This must be the access point! She was here. She can't have gone anywhere else."

Nyssa began feeling about inside the indentation. She remembered the engravings at the bottom of the hollow and ran her fingers over them. "Could these be the trigger?"

The Doctor peered down at the characters and touched them. "Possibly." He pressed on them, one at a time. "If they are, there is most likely a specific sequence required to activate the doorway, though this stone appears solid."

He moved his hands carefully along the interior of the indentation, trying to discern any cracks or spaces, while Nyssa continued to prod at the characters.

After several minutes, both sat back on their heels. The Doctor said, "If this does open, it has been masterfully designed. There are no appreciable gaps."

"It must open, though," said Nyssa. "There doesn't seem to be any other possibility. I think these characters must activate it. If only we could read them."

The Doctor took a small notepad and pencil from his pocket. "That may not be necessary. If they do act as some sort of a rudimentary keypad, all we have to do is figure out the required sequence. We must determine all of the possible permutations then try each one systematically." He was already writing rapidly on the paper.

Inspired by a shred of hope, Nyssa permitted herself to lean back against the smooth, cool stone as her fingers caressed the carvings that would surely reveal her missing friends.

----------

By mid-afternoon Tegan was anxious to speak with Adam again. She had assisted her hostess, whose name she found to be Hahmala, in preparing lunch, mostly to stave off boredom. Hahmala had appeared pleased at the offer of help though reticent at first to accept. Initially she had declined with a small bow, gesturing for Tegan to sit at the table and wait for the food. Tegan, however, had insisted, and Hahmala finally relented, permitting the Australian to shell some beans. Now Hahmala smiled at Tegan each time she caught her eye; a small degree of friendship seemed to form between them.

Tegan sat next to Hahmala at the table, watching her skillfully braid dried grass into a mat. After a time, Tegan placed her hand on Hahmala's arm. The villager looked up at her.

"Please, Hahmala," Tegan said softly, "would you take me to Adam again?"

Hahmala's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Ah-dahm," Tegan said slowly, gesturing toward the far end of the village then pointing at herself.

Hahmala's mouth formed an "oh," then she nodded in understanding. However, her next response was a shake of her head followed by several words.

"Please," Tegan said again, this time allowing her voice an entreating edge, "I need to see him. Please?"

Hahmala looked toward the doorway. The guard stood eating a bowl of beans that she had given him. The look she returned to Tegan conveyed a willingness to help but a fear of repercussion.

Once again Tegan said, "Please," as she grasped Hahmala's wrist.

Hahmala stood with a nod then walked to the guard. She spoke to him in a firm voice. He scowled, but he stepped aside. Hahmala beckoned Tegan with her hand, and they hurried down the pathway toward the edge of the village. The sentry followed closely behind.

When they reached Adam's home, Hahmala removed the bar and permitted Tegan to step inside. Adam still sat upon the pallet; Tegan doubted that he moved often. However, she noticed that a half-empty bowl and a cup sat beside him.

She knelt at his side, briefly lifting the cup to sniff it. The distinctive acrid smell met her nose; Adam had received the soporific, too. She hoped that she would be able to rouse him; this might be her only chance to speak with him again.

Tegan gently shook Adam's shoulder and spoke his name. He mumbled and shifted on the pallet.

"Adam, please wake up. I have to talk to you!" Tegan leaned inward to speak close to his ear.

"Adam," he repeated, "you called me Adam." His eyes opened, and he blinked at her. She saw the same slight haze that had clouded Adric's vision earlier in the day.

"Come on, Adam," she encouraged, "stay with me. Tell me about how you came here."

"Came here? Where?"

"I don't know! We were on Anahsti, at the ruins, and somehow we both ended up here. Please try to remember how."

"Anahsti. The ruins." He nodded and smiled sadly. "I was working on my Ph.D. I was going to be a professor of anthropology. The carvings—they were my research. I was ABD!" His voice rose slightly in anger.

"ABD?" Tegan feared that he was rambling again.

"ABD," he repeated. "I was so close—all but dissertation. Adam Martin, ABD—not Adam Martin, Ph.D."

"All right—you were studying and were close to finishing. But how did you end up here?"

"I never finished," he lamented; he was growing agitated. "I wanted to finish. That's why I went to Anahsti—all the way from Earth. From Arizona to Anahsti—all that way for what? For what?" He gripped her arm with more strength that she thought he possessed.

"I'm sorry, Adam. I wish you could have finished your education. But maybe I can help you get back to Anahsti and then back to Earth."

His blue eyes met hers. "Back to Earth? But it's been so long..."

"You could still go. I have a friend who can take you. But you have to tell me how you got here from Anahsti."

Adam's eyes appeared clearer than they had been. He closed them for a moment then spoke. "It was hot. I was working... at the base. My leg," he touched his knee, pushing away the blanket. Tegan saw that he wore a simple, coarsely woven shift which exposed his legs from the knees down. A faded white scar was still visible across his shin. "I fell and cut it... the rocks were so sharp."

"I know." Tegan ran a finger over the cut on her palm. "Go on, Adam. You were working at the base. Then what?"

"So hot," he murmured. "The sun just beat down, and my leg... it was throbbing, oh it hurt. And I wanted a minute in the shade, just a minute to be cool. I wasn't leaving my work. I was just getting cool."

"And how did you do that? How did you get cool?"

Adam sighed. "The rock—the little hollow in the rock. It was cool in there."

Tegan pressed her hand to her lips. She remembered, now, that she had been in some sort of shaded, cool area; could it have been the same hollow?

"The rock was so smooth," he continued, smiling now at the memory. "So cool, and so nice against my hands. I sat back and closed my eyes." He scowled, then his head drooped.

"Adam! Come on, just another minute. What happened then? You closed your eyes and then what?"

He shook his head. "I was here, on this planet—not Anahsti. I knew—the sky—it's purple here, and there are two moons. But I couldn't get back. I could never get back." A tear glistened against his cheek.

Tegan swallowed; a lump had formed in her throat. "But you tried?"

He shook his head. "No. Yes. They won't let me leave. I have to stay here, in the village, in Tlan-Arana. But I got away—I crept away three times. But I couldn't go back."

"Where did you go?"

"To where I woke up—across there, out by the other mesa. But I couldn't find the way back to Anahsti. I had to stay here."

Tegan caressed the old man's hand gently. "I'm sorry, Adam."

He looked at her with little comprehension. She could see that he was slipping into oblivion again. Quickly she asked, "Wait, Adam. Please—tell me why they've kept you here. What do they want from you?"

"Me?" He smiled ruefully. "They want me. I came from away—I came from the mesa. I have to stay."

"But why?"

"Good fortune," he murmured. "I was their hope." His head lolled back in slumber.

Hahmala took Tegan's arm to urge her upward. The guard was watching them with considerable suspicion and disapprobation, but Tegan did not care. A wave of despair washed over her. Adam did not know how to return to Anahsti, and he had not even been permitted to leave the village in over fifty years. This certainly could not bode well for her and Adric. She blinked back tears as Hahmala led her back to the dwelling.

----------

Nyssa crossed off each combination of characters on the pad of paper as the Doctor pressed at the relevant sequence in the base of the hollow. Glancing at several completed pages, she was beginning to feel discouraged. The Doctor had tried over three dozen combinations with no success. There were still hundreds remaining.

Nyssa sighed audibly as she drew a line through the sequence that the Doctor had just attempted.

"Don't give up hope," he said, glancing at her. "We still have many more to try."

"And more time goes by with each attempt," she fretted. "Doctor, if they are somewhere inside the mesa, how long can they survive?"

"If there is a source of accessible water, they could sustain themselves for several days."

"If they can get to it, and if Adric's injuries aren't too severe," Nyssa added. She looked down at the drops of blood still visible on the rusty earth near the hollow.

The Doctor turned his attention back to the characters. "What is the next combination?" he asked.

Nyssa focused on the page in her hand. The Doctor had assigned each character a number to simplify Nyssa's identification of them. She read out, "Seven, four, thirteen, eight."

He pressed his index finger against each carving, then said quietly, "Next."

----------

Tegan sat on her pallet against the wall, legs stretched out before her. She felt defeated and dispirited, seeing little hope for returning to the mesa where she had awakened. She considered attacking the sentry during the night; perhaps she could catch him by surprise and dash away. But this seemed unlikely, given the vigilance shown by the night guard. As twilight fell over the village, she dozed, exhaustion fueled by her melancholy.

When she heard Adric's voice, however, she sat up quickly. Hahmala was walking out of his room carrying a cup. Tegan stood and hurried to the boy.

"Adric!" she said. "Did she make you drink more of that stuff?"

He shook his head. "I had just a little. The rest is there."

She saw another cup by the pallet. It was nearly full.

"Good," she told him.

"It tastes really awful," he said, frowning.

"It smells pretty bad, too. I wish it didn't. I might be able to slip some into the guard's dinner otherwise."

"Couldn't you mix it with something that would cover the taste and smell?"

Tegan thought for a minute. "That's a really good idea. Perhaps that pink juice—it's already rather sour, and maybe I could add a bit of honey to sweeten out the taste of this stuff. I saw some honey when I was helping Hahmala."

"You'd probably need to drug her, too," Adric said. "She could wake as you're leaving."

Tegan nodded. "You're right. But first we need to see if that juice will mask the taste. I'll be right back."

Tegan went to the kitchen area, where Hahmala was preparing supper. She took an empty cup and poured some juice into it from a clay pitcher. Her hostess smiled, thinking that her guest must like the area's bounty.

Tegan took the juice back to Adric's room and added a splash of the soporific. She held it out to him. "I'm afraid that you're going to have to be the taste tester; I have to stay awake."

Adric scowled faintly but accepted the cup and took a small sip. "It's not too bad," he said. "I can taste a little bitterness, but nowhere nearly as much as in the pure stuff."

Tegan sniffed at the cup; the acrid odor was nearly undetectable. "All right," she said, "I'll take what's in your cup and mix it into the pitcher. Hahmala has served from that at all of the meals. I hope it's enough to knock out both her and the guard."

"Maybe you can find more of this stuff," Adric suggested. "She must keep it somewhere handy."

"I'll try, but I'm going to have to be pretty sneaky just to get this into the pitcher without her seeing me."

"I'm sure you'll manage."

Tegan stood again, then she looked down at the youth. His expression was less pained than it had been earlier in the day. She bent to move the cloths from his arm and leg, asking, "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," he responded honestly. "The cloths might be helping."

"I wonder what's in this liquid?" Tegan asked, touching the yellowed fabric.

"I don't know, but I can feel the bones beginning to mend."

Tegan looked at Adric with some surprise. "Really? So soon?"

He lifted his chin slightly. "Alzarians heal much faster than you."

She nodded. "I forgot." She considered him for a moment. "Adric, if I can leave tonight, I think that you should come with me."

"Go with you?"

"Yes. If I can somehow find a way back to Anahsti, we should go together. I have the strongest feeling that travel back and forth is not something we can rely on. Even if I can get back, I don't know if I'd be able to return here for you—although I'd certainly try."

"Do you think there's any chance that the Doctor can get here?"

Tegan shook her head. "If he could, I'm sure he'd be here by now. He could be searching for us anywhere on Anahsti. There's a lot of open land to cover. I'm sure he and Nyssa are trying, but I'm really afraid that they won't be able to find a way to get here. So we need to try to get back there together."

Adric turned his face away. "I don't know if I can." The mention of Nyssa had left his cheeks burning again.

"I'll help you as much as I can," Tegan said. "I think if I put splints on your arm and leg you can move more easily, and I can save a little of this stuff for the pain."

"You can't carry me," he said dejectedly.

"No, but I can support you. Adric, I really don't want to leave you here." As she spoke, she took his hand, but he pulled it away. The physical contact made his face burn hotter.

"You'd have to hold me the whole way," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I can manage, I'm sure."

"But you'd—I'd have my hands around you."

Tegan chuckled lightly. "Yes, you would. That's the usual way to help someone along."

"But I might... I mean, you'd have to trust me."

"Trust you? No, Adric, it's you who have to trust me. And I won't let you down. I know I'm not always the most reliable person in a crisis, but this time you can count on me. Now I think you need to rest; you seem a bit bleary, and if I can pull this juice thing off, we're going to have a long night ahead of us."

She stood again and walked out of the room. Adric's eyes remained open; his heart was pounding. What would Tegan think of him if he accidentally touched her the wrong way? Could he trust himself and his actions? He had not even been aware of his ignominious behavior before the Doctor had pointed it out to him. Shame washed over him; his companions had surely lost all respect for him. Even if he could somehow make it back to Anahsti with Tegan, he felt certain that he would never be able to face Nyssa again.

----------

The Doctor and Nyssa had exhausted nearly all of the combinations of characters when night fell. There was still one page remaining as darkness covered the mesa completely.

"Come on," the Doctor said, standing. "We should get back up into the dwellings."

Nyssa balked. "But we only have one more page to go! If the combination exists, it must be one of these." She waved the pad in front of her.

In the distance, a faint, eerie howl quivered through the air. The Doctor said, "It will have to wait until the morning. I don't want to risk encountering those dogs again."

"But Doctor, if Adric and Tegan are in here," she patted the rock, "they might not be able to wait until morning. Please, let's keep working as long as we possibly can."

With a sigh, the Doctor knelt again. "All right, what is the next combination?" He had memorized the location of the characters; he required little light to know which ones to touch.

Early evening moonlight provided sufficient illumination for Nyssa to read the numbers on the pad. The Doctor's fingers moved quickly over the characters, then, with some impatience, he said, "Next!"

Nyssa had read all but the last two combinations when the dogs' howls were near enough to make her stomach twist in primal fear. The Doctor began to stand; the dogs were clearly less than one hundred yards away. Nyssa, however, read out the second-to-last combination, finishing with, "Just one more, Doctor."

He bent again, his fingers moving rapidly, "No," he said in a clipped voice, "next."

Nyssa stated the final set of numbers; her heart was pounding in both fear and anticipation. If the characters were the trigger, this permutation had to be the correct one. She watched the Doctor's hand in the moonlight.

He stood and turned to her; his expression was sober. "Come on," he said gruffly, "we haven't much time."

Disappointment flooded her, but she had no time for remorse. The Doctor took her arm and walked quickly toward the ladder. The dogs yipped and growled; their eyes flashed in the silvery light. With a glance ahead and one to the side, the Doctor shouted, "Run!"

He pulled Nyssa along, the dogs now suddenly running beside them. The canines snapped at their prey, one catching at Nyssa's leg. The Doctor tugged her forward, away from the animal's jaws, and she leaped in an attempt to propel herself further away.

Nyssa felt her body fly through the air for the briefest moment, then her feet hit the ground. She stumbled, falling to her knees even as the Doctor dragged her ahead. But her change in position was unexpected to him, and he turned to look back at her. His foot hit a stone and slid out from under him. Arms flailing in a futile attempt to regain his balance, the Time Lord fell to the ground, landing on his hip. Nyssa had not regained her feet, either, and as each scrabbled upward, the dogs surrounded them.

The Doctor pressed Nyssa against the rock face and stood in front of her. "Back!" he yelled at the advancing canines. His words had little effect; the animals stalked forward. The Doctor reached into his pocket to withdraw a matchbook, still watching the dogs. His fingers fumbled with the small cardboard flap.

"Doctor!" Nyssa cried, "hurry!"

She could feel the dogs' breath on her legs.

"I'm afraid I'm all out," the Doctor said somewhat apologetically. He tossed the matchbook at the nearest dog, but the animal did not seem to feel the light missile.

He reached around for anything else to throw, then he leaned forward. "Try to distract them," he said. "I need about ten seconds."

Nyssa had no idea what her companion was planning, but she could see that he was reaching to the side, where several dogs snapped at his hand. She stepped forward to wave her arms and shout at the animals. They backed away slightly, one narrowly missing the Doctor's fingers with its sharp, strong teeth. Nyssa's warnings deterred the canines for only seconds, however. Their hunger drove them forward, unafraid of the small figure that moved and yelled before them.

The dog nearest the Doctor clamped its jaw around his wrist just as his hand jerked upward. A sharp, shrill noise made Nyssa jump. It was followed immediately by another. The dogs seemed to freeze momentarily; several yelped as if in pain. The Doctor pulled his arm away from the dog's mouth as a second pair of beeps exploded from the scanner.

The canines whined and backed away. After several more beeps, the pack trotted away. Picking up the scanner, the Doctor nudged Nyssa toward the ladder. She climbed up as quickly as she could; her injured hand slowed her somewhat. The Doctor followed only a few rungs behind her.

When both had reached the dwellings, they pulled the ladder up and lay it on the pathway. This safeguard completed, they walked tiredly into the home in which the Doctor's bags lay. He switched on a small battery-operated lamp as Nyssa sank down onto her bedroll.

"How did you know that the scanner would scare them away?" she asked, finally feeling as though she had caught her breath.

The Doctor had set the scanner on the ground; he now patted it affectionately. "Canines' ears are very sensitive; they can perceive sounds in the 0.1 decibel range, much lower than most humanoids can. However, sounds above 100 decibels are painful to them. Fortunately, the scanner's signal is 110 decibels."

"I'm just glad that you had it available."

"Hmm, yes, it was rather fortuitous." He set the lamp near Nyssa then sat down next to her. "Are you all right?"

Nyssa looked down at her legs and ankles. Her pants leg was ripped across her calf. She moved the fabric aside. Four reddened streaks lay across her skin. The Doctor bent in to peer at them.

"It's just a scrape," he said. "It didn't break the skin."

Nyssa nodded. "Did the dog bite your wrist?" she asked.

The Doctor lifted his arm toward the light. He saw that his cuff was torn, but the extra layer of interfacing inside the fabric had prevented the dog's teeth from penetrating his flesh.

"We were both lucky," he said. "Remaining out there with the dogs so close was foolish, though. I won't risk that again."

Nyssa's voice was low as she said, "At least now we know that the characters don't open a passage in the rock."

"That surprises me. It seemed such a logical explanation."

Nyssa frowned, deeply in thought for a moment. "Doctor, perhaps we're being too logical about this."

"Too logical? What do you mean?"

"Perhaps we should consider other possibilities."

"Do you have any in mind?"

Nyssa shook her head. "Nothing specific, but I think we should consider all of the facts we have. Maybe we should focus on the things that aren't logical, since the logical aspects don't seem to help us."

"Hmm. You sound rather like Tegan."

Nyssa smiled sadly. "Perhaps Tegan's way of thinking is just what we need."

----------

Tegan and Hahmala sat at the table enjoying a supper of seasoned, cooked beans, chewy flatbread, and a crispy root vegetable with a slightly gingery taste. Tegan's spirits were buoyed by her success in adding a full cup of the sleeping draught to the pitcher of juice. She had managed this while Hahmala took a bowl of beans to Adric. She had found a container on a high shelf that held more of the liquid, and she poured Adric's cup as well as several additional splashes from the container into the pitcher. She quickly added some honey, then she tasted a drop of the concoction to be certain that the addition was not obvious.

Now she poured a second cup of juice for her hostess. She had seen the night guard drink from his own cup several times. Tegan had held her cup to her lips repeatedly and pretended to swallow, but none of the drink had entered her throat. After refilling Hahmala's cup, she nodded toward the guard and held up the pitcher.

Hahmala gestured toward Tegan's cup, but she shook her head with a smile, patting at her stomach to indicate satiation. She swept her hands over her bowl and made a satisfied sound. Hahmala smiled with pleasure and stood to replenish the guard's drink.

Tegan did not know how much time would be required for the draught to have its desired effect. She had given Hahmala considerably more juice, knowing it was important that the woman be asleep when the guard became affected.

Hahmala removed the dishes from the table, Tegan eagerly assisting her. Hahmala appeared somewhat unsteady on her feet as she stood by the counter. Tegan glanced at the doorway; the guard's shadow fell across the entrance, but he was not watching her at the moment.

Tegan led Hahmala quickly to the room in the back that served as her bedchamber. By the time she had eased her hostess onto the pallet, the woman's eyes were closed and her breathing indicated deep slumber. Tegan returned to the common room. The guard leaned against the doorway; she saw that his eyelids were drooping.

Nonchalantly she sat at the table and took up the mat upon which Hahmala had worked earlier. Tegan allowed her fingers to move over the grass, feigning a weaving motion, as she watched the guard from the corner of her eye. The moment he begin to slump, she leaped up and ran forward. She caught him under the arms as he slid toward the floor.

He was a large, sturdily built man, and Tegan struggled to pull his prone body into the house and toward the wall next to the door. By the time she had finished, sweat beaded her forehead. However, she took no time to rest. She hurried back to the table and took the mat in her hands. From a basket near the wall, she took two more mats. She carried these into Adric's room. He lay on the bed with his eyes closed.

"Adric!" she urged. "Come on! Wake up!"

The boy's eyes opened.

"The drug worked; Hahmala and the guard are completely out, but I don't know how long it will last. I'm going to put splints on you." She knelt beside him and rolled one of the mats then flattened it against the floor. She placed this under Adric's arm. "I think we should leave these cloths on, since whatever's on them seems to help." She was speaking quickly, looking about for something with which to secure the splint to Adric's arm.

The blanket that covered him was too heavy for her to tear. The pallet was constructed of a roughly woven fabric sewn at the edges and stuffed with a soft material inside. Tegan grasped the edge and tried to rip the covering, but it was a strong weave. "Rabbits!" she exclaimed in frustration.

She looked down at her skirt. Her stockings would be easy to tear. She reached for her hem and lifted the skirt slightly, but Adric's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" he asked breathlessly.

"I'm going to use my stockings," she answered.

"No! You can't do that!" Adric's voice rose sharply.

Tegan saw the color that flooded his cheeks, then she remembered the issue that had led her and her companions to Anahsti in the first place. In the confusion and crisis of the last two days, the small matter of Adric's decorum had been far from her thoughts.

"I don't know what else to use," she said.

He gulped. "My belt. Use my belt."

Tegan pushed back the blanket; Adric's clothing had been rolled up to expose his injured leg and arm. He still wore his shirt and pants, but his belt and mathematics badge were gone.

"Where is it?" she asked.

Adric shut his eyes for a moment. "I don't know."

Tegan searched about the room. In a large basket on the opposite wall she found the belt and the badge. She used the belt to secure two of the rolled mats to his leg. She still required some sort of binding for his arm, so she hurried back to the common room. The guard wore a soft animal skin belt around his waist. Quickly Tegan removed it and ran back to Adric.

After fastening the splint to his arm, she paused for a moment to pin the badge to his chest. "We can't leave without this," she said with a quick smile.

She assisted Adric in sitting, then placed his arm over her shoulders. "All right, I'm going to help you to stand now," she said.

"Tegan," he said plaintively, "I don't know if I can. Maybe I should just stay here."

She turned her face to him; she was only inches away. "No. You're coming with me. I won't leave you here. You can do this; I'm going to help you. Come on, up." She stood slowly, pulling him upward with her.

Adric gasped; the movement was obviously painful, but Tegan felt there was little choice for him. She took him out of the bedroom, supporting him with her shoulder. He kept the broken leg slightly up from the ground, and his arm dangled at his side.

Tegan led him to the table, where he balanced with his good hand while she filled her flask with a mixture of juice and the sleeping draught. She offered a small sip to Adric.

"Have just a little for the pain," she said.

He nodded and swallowed a few drops as Tegan checked the doorway. The guard still slept soundly, and there did not seem to be anyone about the village. She could see lights in some of the other homes; she knew that she would need to pass several of these to reach the ladder.

"Wait here," she told Adric. Tegan hurried toward the ladder, keeping low to the ground. Fortunately the edge of the path was in shadow. When she reached the ladder, she crouched to grasp the top rung in her hands. She tried to lift it, but the ladder was heavy. She knew that it was possible to move it; the residents of these cliff dwellings brought their ladders up when enemies threatened from below. However, she suspected that several men usually hoisted the ladder upward, not a single, slim woman.

Undaunted, Tegan attempted to slide the ladder to the side. It was difficult to get sufficient leverage from her post above it, but she forced her shoulders into the task. With a hard thrust of her arms, the ladder moved several inches. Tegan took one step sideways and managed to shift it a few more inches. However, this time she became slightly unbalanced from the effort and teetered on the edge of the path. She gasped and gripped at the small ledge that ran along the pathway, steadying her body and her breathing.

Tegan realized that she would not be able to move the ladder very far alone. Her only recourse was to bring Adric out here. She glanced back at the nearby dwellings. Soft voices could be heard inside the nearest one.

She skulked back to Hahmala's house. Adric leaned against the table, pale and shaky. Tegan took a blanket from the pallet against the wall and wrapped it around his shoulders.

"We have to walk a short distance to the ladder," she explained. "If anyone should see you, they may think you're just an old man walking along."

Adric nodded hesitantly. "You don't have to take me."

"Adric, we've already gone over this. I'm not leaving without you, and I absolutely intend to go, so you're coming, too."

She placed his arm over her shoulder again and pulled him toward the door. They hobbled down the pathway, Adric on the inside and Tegan very close to the edge of the cliff. Adric seemed to resist the forward movement, but Tegan was determined. When they were half-way to the ladder, a sharp voice came from the nearest dwelling.

Tegan's heart began to race. The voice spoke again, very close to the doorway. Tegan tried to pull Adric forward, urging him toward the ladder, but he stopped.

"Adric!" she whispered. "Come on!"

"Wait," he said softly. She saw his hand stretch out from underneath the blanket. "T'lock aparra," he called out in a husky voice.

"T'lock aparra," the voice from the dwelling responded.

"Now we can go," he said.

Tegan continued, shaken from the near encounter. "What was that?" she asked quietly.

"That's what Hahmala said to me in the evenings. I think it means _good night_."

Tegan reached for his hand over her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Brilliant, Adric!"

They now stood before the ladder. Tegan looked down at the top rung. She had failed to consider exactly how she would get Adric down the ladder and to the ground. "Cripes," she muttered, thinking as quickly as she could.

"What's the matter?" Adric asked.

"We have to figure out a way to get you down. Can you put any weight on your foot?"

Adric tested the appendage, wincing as it touched the ground. "I don't know."

Tegan lowered his arm then turned to place both hands on his shoulders. "You have to try. It's the only way."

"I—I don't know if I can."

She gripped his shoulders harder. "You must." She turned back to the ladder. "I have an idea."

She helped Adric to sit on the edge of the path, then she lay down on her stomach. She moved his uninjured leg to a rung and set his foot against it, then she swung the broken leg gently down and eased the foot onto the same rung.

"Grab hold of the top rung with your good hand," she instructed.

Adric complied, but he said, "Tegan, I can't climb down. I'll fall—" She felt him beginning to tremble; she was sure that he was recalling his plummet from the Anahsti mesa.

"I won't let you," she said. "Just hang on."

He gripped the rung as she placed her hands between his. Carefully, fingers clenched on the wood, she swung her body around Adric and lowered her feet to the rung just below where his feet lay. Her body was pressed against his back, holding him in place.

"Now," she said firmly, "we're going to climb down together. I'll stay right in front of you, just like this, and I won't let you fall. You just need to use your good hand and foot to go down one rung at a time."

"Tegan," he protested, cheeks flaming at the intimate contact and heart racing in fear, "I can't."

"Yes, you can. Come on."

Tegan moved his hand down a single rung then used her toes to urge his foot downward. They had gone down several rungs, their heads well below the path, when they heard voices again.

"Sshh!" Tegan warned, pressing in against Adric even more firmly. If someone should peer down over the ledge, she hoped that her body would not be visible.

Neither young woman nor boy drew a breath for nearly a minute as the voices floated by above them. Looking up, Tegan saw a light pass by; her heart seemed to stop when the light ceased its movement directly above them. She felt the ladder shake slightly; she thought that someone was trying to move it. However, after a moment she realized that Adric had simply shifted his foot to the side.

When the voices had passed, they continued their slow descent. Tegan remained firmly against Adric, keeping his body steady with her own. She could tell that he was uncomfortable and in pain, but she did not stop. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she felt her foot touch solid ground.

"We made it!" she said, hopping down then helping Adric off of the ladder.

In the moonlight, she could see that his cheeks were flushed and sweat dripped down his face. "It's all right," she tried to soothe, "you did fine."

He said nothing, so she placed his arm over her shoulder again and began to walk through the dark curtain of night.

----------


	7. Chapter 7

The small lantern illuminated the dark dwelling at the top of the mesa. The Doctor paced about the room while Nyssa sat on the floor, her chin resting upon her drawn-up knees. Both were deep in thought.

The Doctor paused before the counter and sink; he ran his fingers over the smooth stone. "Nyssa," he said suddenly, "when you told me about the results of the rock analysis, you said that you found one anomaly."

She looked up at him. He stood outside the pool of light; his face was in shadow.

"Yes," she responded. "The rock is primarily terrigenous sedimentary. I found feldspar, quartz, muscovite, mica, and hematite in it. But there was one component I couldn't identify. It seemed to be organic."

The Doctor stepped back into the light. "Which is completely illogical. Rock is inorganic."

"I checked the tests twice; I'm sure I wasn't mistaken."

"No, I'm sure you weren't, either. So that is our first diversion from strictly logical explanations. The composition of this mesa is odd, to say the least. How could that help to explain Tegan's and Adric's disappearances?"

Nyssa shook her head. "I don't know. It doesn't seem that it could."

"Then what else do we have here, hmm?" He lifted his hands to sweep them across the shadowed walls.

Nyssa followed his movement. Her gaze fell upon the carvings that Tegan had copied. She squinted in the dimness. "Doctor," she said, standing, "there's something about the characters..."

She walked toward them. The Doctor lifted the lantern, but she said, "No, leave it for a minute. They look different in this light."

The Time Lord moved to Nyssa's side. She had tilted her head one way and then the other. Now she traced over one of the carvings with her fingertips.

"These remind me of something." She circled the carving again, then touched the center of it. It was slightly concave, as were many of the other engravings.

"It doesn't resemble any written language I've ever encountered," the Doctor said.

"No. Maybe it's not meant to be a language."

The Doctor gave Nyssa a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps assuming that it represents a language is also too logical. What if it's meant to represent a process? There's some repetition. Here," she ran her hand down the wall, "you can see that this disc has been copied." She touched a carving near her head then another close to her waist.

"Many processes rely on repetition and replication."

"Such as cell division and regeneration," Nyssa finished. "These carvings—I know what they remind me of. I've seen something very like this under an electron microscope. In the daylight the resemblance isn't as clear. Many of the figures are round and flat, with a biconcave disc in the center."

"Of course! Erythrocytes! And these," he touched one of the open figures, "could be the compressed cells as they move through the blood vessels." The Doctor clapped a hand onto her shoulder. "Excellent, Nyssa!"

With some disappointment, she said, "I don't know how seeing their resemblance to red blood cells can help us, really. It's probably just a coincidence anyway, and the other lines certainly aren't part of the cells."

"I'm not entirely certain that's true. Look at the line-like characters carefully. What do they remind you of?"

Nyssa studied several carvings. "The thin lines," she placed her finger on a narrow carving, "they're like tendrils."

"And what might be found within the plasma that resembles thin threads?"

Nyssa considered this question for a moment. "Plasma contains protein that can form fibrous threads to aid in blood clotting—those are called fibrin, aren't they? These tendrils could almost represent the fibrin."

"Almost—very likely, I'd say."

"But how could these people have known what an erythrocyte looked like, much less fibrin? They didn't have the technology for that sort of study."

"They may have copied the designs from other sources, or perhaps been shown what to create by visitors from another place or time."

"But why would they decorate their walls with them?"

"That seems to be the question of the moment, doesn't it? I have a feeling that the answer will reveal a great deal about this place."

"But will it tell us where Tegan and Adric have gone?"

The Doctor gazed at the carvings for a moment before answering. "I hope so. We don't seem to have any other clues to follow."

----------

The glow from two gibbous moons provided sufficient light for Tegan to walk without stumbling over the coarse sand and small plants that covered the ground between the great mesas. Adric hobbled gingerly beside her, his arm remaining over her shoulders. She tried to step in rhythm with him, but still their progress was slow.

She felt Adric wince in pain and heard his breath catch often; she knew that the journey was arduous for him. At first she had spoken to him frequently, trying to provide verbal encouragement. However, his responses were scarce, so Tegan's words had diminished. She focused her energy on helping him along.

After twenty minutes of walking, she felt his arm slip. She turned her head toward him and tightened her hand around his waist.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Adric's face was pale and damp in the moonlight. He took a breath, then said, "Are you sure we're going in the right direction?"

"Yes, I think so. The mesa where I woke up is almost directly across from the village. We just have to go in a straight line."

"And how can you be certain we're doing that?"

"I'm following the moon—that one." She pointed up at the sky.

Adric closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "You can't rely on that," he said wearily. "The moon may have an elliptical orbit, and that doesn't even factor in the rotation speed of this planet. Don't you know anything about astronomy?"

"No, I don't know much about it," Tegan replied somewhat tersely. "But I do know that we have to keep going. As long as we head away from the village we'll end up where we need to be. Come on."

"I don't think I can."

Tegan felt Adric balk. She assured him, "Of course you can. You're doing fine."

"I'm slowing you down."

"We're still moving forward; that's what's important. We have to keep going. Slow and steady wins the race, you know."

"What?"

"You don't know the story of the tortoise and the hare?"

Adric shook his head. Tegan started walking again, gently urging Adric along as she began to tell the tale: "Well, there was once this hare who often bragged that he was the fastest animal in the land..."

----------

The Doctor and Nyssa had continued to study the carvings for several hours. However, they had formed no new conclusions. When the Time Lord noticed the young woman's eyelids drooping, he encouraged her to sleep. Nyssa settled down on the bedroll, still staring at the carved wall, until she fell asleep.

The Doctor sat on the bedroll that Tegan had used. Her sketchbook and pencils lay beside the blanket. He flipped the pages back idly, admiring the detail and accuracy of her work. He felt a momentary regret when he realized that he had never acknowledged her skill in drawing. When his hand flattened the first page of the tablet, however, he frowned. Glancing between the sketch and the top row of figures on the wall, he saw that she had made an error. The orientation of the discs was incorrect, and she had failed to include several of the tendrils in another. He checked the other drawings to find that they were perfectly accurate.

"Oh Tegan, what were you thinking?" he muttered, dropping the pad to the floor.

Nyssa stirred and opened her eyes. "Doctor?" she asked sleepily. "Is something wrong?" She sat up suddenly. "Is Tegan here?"

"No, Nyssa."

"I thought I heard you say her name."

"I'm sorry—I did, but I was just noticing that some of her sketches were inaccurate."

"Really? She worked hard on those. I know that she tried to copy them exactly as they were—she even commented on getting the shading right."

Nyssa looked over the Doctor's shoulder at the first page of the sketchpad.

"The other drawings appear quite precise," he said, quickly rifling through the pad.

Nyssa's eyes moved between the paper and the wall. "What if Tegan's drawings _were _accurate when she made them?"

"What?" The Doctor considered this for a moment. "You mean that the figures have changed?"

Nyssa shook her head. "I don't know. This is all so confusing. I don't see how the figures really could be altered unless someone came in here and carved over them. But I also don't believe that Tegan's efforts could be this wrong. She really takes great pride in her drawing skills. I think it's the one talent that she feels she can admit to having."

The Doctor rested a finger against his chin, tapping idly for a few seconds. He stood abruptly, reaching for Nyssa's hand. "Come along," he said brightly.

Nyssa rose. "Where are we going?"

"To see if the figures in the dwelling where I worked appear to have changed."

As they left the house, Nyssa asked, "Did you or Adric make a sketch of them?"

"Adric sketched some, but he took them with him when he left. I spent quite a bit of time studying them, however. I believe that I can recall what they looked like the last time I saw them."

They hurried down the path. The Doctor held the lantern to light their way. When they reached the large dwelling, he lifted the lamp toward the wall. Nyssa waited quietly while he studied the figures.

"These have changed, too," he said finally.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. The concentration of fibrin—if we can presume that is what these lines represent—is much greater in the top row of erythrocytes."

"I don't know, Doctor. Assuming that these are blood cells seems to be a huge leap in logic."

"Perhaps, but as you pointed out, considering the illogical may be our best option. So," he rubbed his hands together, his energy heightened, "why would these figures have changed in the last two days?"

Nyssa was tired, and her concern for Adric and Tegan had grown steadily during the night. She sighed and leaned against the cool, stone wall. "I really can't even imagine."

----------

The progress that Tegan and Adric made across the desert was slow. Tegan found that Adric required rest frequently. His level of pain increased steadily as they walked, too. She gave him small sips of the medicated juice every half hour, but the effects seemed quite fleeting.

Several times they heard a distant howling. The sound reminded Tegan of a dingo's cry. She felt Adric jerk slightly with each wail. When the night's darkness began to fade into the pre-dawn gray, she was relieved to find that they were near their destination. In the pale light she saw the mesas directly ahead.

Tegan looked behind her. The mesa from which they had come was some distance away; she estimated that they had walked several kilometers. However, she could see a faint glimmer of lights twinkling through the dusk. The inhabitants of Tlan-Arana were waking. Tegan drew a breath as she realized that Hahmala and the guard would undoubtedly wake or be discovered soon.

"Come on," she said, trying to move a bit faster.

Adric did not respond to her motion.

"Adric!" she cried. "We have to hurry. They're going to find out that we've gone—they may already know. It won't take them very long to get out here."

Adric was breathing hard, and his skin was damp. "I can't go any faster," he moaned.

"It's not much farther. We just need to get to the mesa up ahead."

"It's too far."

Tegan paused, turning to face the boy. She placed her hand on his cheek. "Listen to me, Adric. You can do this. You've come this far. I know you can make it a bit further."

He hung his head without responding. Tegan knew that he was exhausted and in pain, but her primary thoughts were of returning to Anahsti and her companions there.

"Please, Adric," she entreated, "just keep going. I promise you that we'll be back on Anahsti soon. The Doctor will know just what to do for you—you'll feel better before you know it. It's just a little way to go."

She took a step forward. Adric moved with her.

"That's it," she cajoled, "just one step at a time."

Together they walked haltingly toward the mesa.

----------

When dawn broke, the Doctor and Nyssa were still studying the carvings in the large dwelling. They had drawn no further conclusions about the figures' significance or reasons for apparently changing over time.

"Perhaps," the Doctor commented, "the organic compounds in the rock—if we can call it rock—are responsible for the alteration of the figures."

Nyssa nodded. "You may be right. Should we try to determine exactly what the organic matter is?"

"We don't have the necessary equipment here to do that," the Doctor said. "But by all means we must take a sample back to the TARDIS to analyze when we return."

The large room in which they sat had grown light. Nyssa looked at the figures once again. They revealed no more information to her. "We have to find them today," she said softly.

"Hmm?" The Doctor had been immersed in his own thoughts.

"I think, Doctor, that we really have to find Tegan and Adric today. They can't possibly wait much longer."

The Doctor nodded. "I agree. And I'm afraid that Sergeant Modory's colleagues will arrive today as well, which means that they will come after us before the end of the day. So time is of the essence." He stood abruptly. "A comparison of these figures and the ones in the hollow may reveal some additional information."

Nyssa rose too. "How so?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, "but we certainly won't find out anything about them by standing here. Come along."

Nyssa followed the Time Lord out of the dwelling and down the long, narrow path to the ladder.

----------

Tegan exhaled deeply, wiping a hand across her saturated forehead. She was exhausted, but she also felt hopeful. Their destination, the huge mesa, towered above her and Adric. They were only a few feet away from the massive rock face.

"We made it," she breathed. "Come on Adric, it's just a couple of steps now."

She dragged him forward. She permitted herself to lean against the rock for a moment to regain a bit of strength after carefully settling Adric on the ground.

"What now?" he asked, looking about.

"I have to find the place where I woke up. It's around here somewhere."

Adric's eyes roamed up and to the sides. "Are you sure it was this mesa? The ones on either side look almost identical."

Tegan shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it's this one. Wait here while I check around."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Tegan searched around the base of the mesa for some time. Adric had been correct; the three mesas on this side of the region were extremely similar. She tried to recall precisely where she had awakened. Had there been a mesa on either side? She had been so tired and still ill from the heat then; it was difficult to remember clearly.

After twenty minutes, she returned to Adric.

"Well?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I didn't see the hollow over there. I'll check this side."

"Tegan—" Adric began as she started to walk away.

"Look, Adric, I will find it," she said firmly. "I'll get you back to Anahsti today. I promise."

A small surge of energy, fueled by determination, drove her forward. The sun glowed over her shoulder; it was morning, and she was certain that Adric's and her absence had been discovered. She knew that she had little time to spare. A strong walker could cover the distance between the village and this mesa in less than an hour.

Tegan's eyes moved over the rock. There were deep shadows that she mistook several times for the hollow. In growing frustration, she knelt before yet one more concavity only to discover that it, too, was merely a trick of the light. When she reached the far edge of the mesa, she knew that she had been mistaken. This was not where she had awakened. She trudged back to Adric.

"Did you find it?" he asked. She wondered briefly at the lugubrious tone of his voice.

"No. It must be over there." She pointed to the mesa on her right.

"Maybe it's not here at all."

"Don't say that, Adric! Of course it is. I've just made a little mistake. I'm sure it's over there. It's got to be. I'll be back as soon as I can." She turned toward the adjacent mesa, gazing out over the plain for a moment. She held a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun's glare. "Cripes," she muttered.

She saw several figures moving over the flat stretch of land. They were nearly halfway across the expanse of desert. Tegan turned back to Adric, quickly lifting his arm over her shoulders.

"Come on," she said. "We have to go."

"What? Why?"

She tilted her head toward the desert. "They're coming. We don't have much time."

"No, Tegan, I can't. I'm too tired."

"You have to. Come on, Adric. You can do this. Soon you'll be back with the Doctor and Nyssa—"

Adric stood very still. "Nyssa?" he whispered.

"Yes, and she'll be so glad to see you. I'm sure she's been worried sick—"

"No," he said slowly. "Leave me here."

"What? Don't be ridiculous! I already told you that I'm not leaving you."

"I'll be fine. They'll find me and take me back to the village. Hahmala took good care of me—"

"Look, Adric, when we do get out of here, I don't know if we can come back. That means if I left you, you could be stuck here indefinitely, just like Adam. You'd never see the Doctor or Nyssa again. That's not what you want, is it?"

Adric looked away from Tegan and dropped his arm from her shoulders. "Maybe it would be for the best."

"What? Why on earth would you think that? You wouldn't enjoy living here, not for the long run. Trust me, Adric. You'd be bored silly, with no math or science—"

"At least I wouldn't bother anyone here."

Tegan glanced over her shoulder at the distant figures then returned her gaze steadily to Adric's face. "What are you talking about?"

"I—" he paused and swallowed. He simply did not have the energy to hide his feelings from her. "Nyssa must hate me. I'm sure she never wants to see me again."

Tegan frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Adric lowered his eyes to the ground. "The way I treated her—the stares... she must think me a fool. I know that you do."

"Why would you think that?"

"The Doctor told me—"

Tegan sighed. "Back on Anahsti? When he spoke to you alone? Is that what you're talking about?"

Adric nodded; he still kept his eyes down.

Tegan placed her hands on Adric's shoulders. "Adric, I want you to listen to me. The Doctor's a brilliant man—he knows everything about science, mechanics, anything technical, and a lot of things that aren't. But his understanding of emotions is lacking, to say the least. I don't know exactly what he said to you, but I think there was a misunderstanding of some sort. He was just supposed to talk to you about your feelings, and explain a little about how to deal with them. Wait a minute—does this have anything to do with your fall back at the ruins?"

Adric did not look up. "I was trying to go back to the TARDIS, but I heard your voices, and I stumbled."

"Oh Adric," said Tegan. "You weren't supposed to feel bad. That wasn't the point of the Doctor's conversation with you."

"But he said that you'd noticed how awful I'd been around Nyssa—"

Tegan shook her head. "I never used the word 'awful' or anything like it. And Nyssa wasn't even aware that you'd been staring at her. She's not upset with you, and neither am I."

Adric looked up at Tegan. "You're not?"

"No." She lightened her tone before adding, "But I will be if you don't come with me now. We really don't have much time."

Without waiting for his reply, she secured his arm over her shoulders and began to walk. He did not resist. However, his fatigue was evident. Tegan had to provide him with considerable support. Her own level of energy, briefly sparked earlier, was waning rapidly.

She looked back out toward the desert. The party had gotten closer as she and Adric spoke. Her eyes darted back to the mesa that lay ahead. A blur of yellow caught her attention. She remembered, then, that bright flowers grew near where she had awakened. Scanning the ground nearby, she noticed a few of the blossoms, but not the great quantities she had seen near the hollow.

"Hang on a second," she told Adric, turning to look at the mesa behind them. Very little yellow met her eyes. "We're going the right way now. Come on."

With a small smile of relief she pressed Adric forward.

----------

Nyssa and the Doctor crouched before the hollow, sun beating against their backs.

"These haven't changed since last evening," the Doctor said, touching several of the figures with his fingertip.

"What does that tell us?" asked Nyssa despondently. "It doesn't bring us any closer to finding Tegan and Adric."

The Doctor sat back on his heels, tapping absently at the stone. "No, I don't suppose it does."

"What are we going to do? We can't just leave them here!" Nyssa leaned forward, pressing her hands against the smooth rock.

"Of course not," said the Doctor.

His gaze rested on Nyssa's hand; her fingers lay just below the figures. He reached out to touch the handkerchief; the makeshift splint was still in place. "How is your hand feeling?" he asked.

Nyssa lifted the appendage. "It's much better. I think I can remove this now." She fumbled with the handkerchief; the Doctor nimbly untied it then pulled it from her hand.

As Nyssa flexed her fingers, the Doctor considered the small cloth.

"Nyssa," he said slowly, "what is the one thing we know that Tegan, Adric, and the missing man—Adam Martin—had in common?"

She looked up at him. "Aside from the fact that they are all missing?"

"Yes."

She thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's not their ages or genders..."

"No."

"Adric was hurt, and the report indicated that Adam Martin had cut his leg, and Tegan was ill."

"Yes. But recall that she scraped her hand on the rock when we first arrived here."

Nyssa nodded. "Yes, she did. Doctor, are you suggesting that their disappearances have something to do with all of them being injured in some way?"

"Perhaps. It is the one common thread I can find among them."

Nyssa lifted her hand. "But I was injured, and I'm still here."

"And I'm very glad that you are," the Doctor smiled briefly at her. "However, your injury did not involve any loss of blood. Tegan's, Adric's, and presumably Martin's, did."

"Of course! The erythrocytes must have some connection to that."

"I believe so. Remember that the top row in the large dwelling seemed to have a higher concentration of fibrin than the other rows?"

"Yes."

"What do you know about Alzarian physiology?" he asked.

"It's similar to that of a human, but the healing process is faster."

"And what might contribute to that?"

Nyssa blinked in sudden comprehension. "An enhanced clotting ability—which would come from a greater concentration of fibrin in the blood!"

"Precisely."

"So you think that the top row of figures somehow represents Adric's blood?"

"I do."

"It's all quite fascinating," Nyssa said, "but I still don't see how this will help us to find them."

The Doctor leaned back against the rock. "It cannot be mere coincidence. There must be some connection. We simply have to find it."

They sat, each deeply in thought, as the sun rose higher in the clear, blue sky.

----------

The sight of scraggly desert flowers was more welcome to Tegan than that of infinite bouquets of roses. As she hauled Adric toward the bright blooms, she announced, "We're here!"

Immediately she saw the indentation in the rock.; Nyssa's shirt lay just inside it. She eased Adric down next to it then bent to inspect the area. The hollow was smooth and deep, much like the one in which she'd rested on Anahsti. She tried to recall the details of the Anahsti indentation, but her memories were a blur.

"Tegan," Adric said, "you'd better hurry."

She looked back toward the desert. She could clearly see five sturdy men approaching; they were less than half a kilometer away. Desperately she felt about the hollow; a shred of memory made her run her hands over the base, although she could not recall why she should do this.

"How do we get back?" Adric asked. "Is there some sort of mechanism in the rock?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to remember what happened when I was on Anahsti. I was in the hollow, and Nyssa was there giving me water... then she left, and I felt really weak. I was hot, and I could barely move, but my hands... I think there was something I touched."

Adric leaned forward with a groan. "I remember that too! I was in the hollow, trying to hide from the wild dogs, and I felt some bumps under my fingers."

"Yes, that's what I felt, too!" Tegan searched frantically in the hollow for any changes in the smooth rock texture, but she could find none.

"Tegan! They're almost here!" Adric cried.

"Come on," she said, grasping his arm. She backed into the hollow, sliding down against it to sit with her legs outstretched. She swung Adric around and pulled him down next her so that he sat against her hip.

"What are you doing?" he asked, panting in pain.

"I don't know. But we were both sitting in the hollow on Anahsti just before we came here. Maybe this will take us back."

Breathlessly they waited as they watched the guards draw ever nearer.

---------

The Doctor stood with his hands resting against the top of the hollow, staring at the figures below. Nyssa sat beside him, feeling somewhat useless. She tried to think about the new information they had gathered, but she could make no sense of it. Her gaze dropped to the sandy ground. A few dark spots remained, evidence of Adric's fall.

Suddenly Nyssa stood. "The blood!" she cried.

The Doctor looked at her. Before he could speak, she continued quickly, "Why isn't any of Adric's blood here in the hollow? There was a great deal of it on the ground, but there's none here."

"You're right," responded the Doctor.

"This stone is porous," Nyssa continued, "as is that in the dwellings. Remember that Tegan rinsed her hand in the sink? Her blood would have fallen onto the stone, as would Adric's while he sat here."

The Doctor nodded in understanding. "And their blood was absorbed into the stone—or whatever this material is. That is why the top row of figures in the large dwelling has additional fibrin; the figures represent an image of Adric's red blood cells."

"And the top line in the smaller dwelling is probably Tegan's."

"Yes. This stone is somehow able to encode the blood of each person who's bled onto it. Tegan's blood was recorded in the dwelling where it was absorbed. I imagine that if we could examine this portion of the rock carefully we would find a direct vein to the large chamber where we saw Adric's cells.

"Nyssa, these figures," he pointed at the base of the hollow, "may not have opened a passage for us because our blood was not encoded into the stone. Just as some security systems permit access by recognition of retinal patterns or fingerprints, this may allow access by recognition of blood cells."

"Then we have to allow it to recognize ours." Nyssa placed her hand upon a rough section of the rocky wall and pressed down deeply then forced her hand upward. With a wince she lifted her hand; an inch long cut split her palm. She lowered her hand and held it over the hollow.

The Doctor lifted his hand to perform a similar operation, but Nyssa said, "No, let's try my blood first. Yours may be too dissimilar to a human's and therefore unrecognizable."

A drop of blood fell from Nyssa's hand onto the stone. She and the Doctor watched in fascination as it disappeared immediately.

"It's as though it's been absorbed completely," said the Doctor.

Several more red drops landed upon the stone for instant absorption. Nyssa knelt and placed her fingers on the raised figures.

"Now what?" she asked.

"I'm really not sure," replied the Doctor. "But I imagine that the figures in the top row of the large chamber up there will have changed the next time we see them."

Nyssa ran her fingers over the figures; her hand was trembling slightly. She and the Time Lord waited anxiously for any change in the hollow, but the stone before them remained unaltered. In frustration, Nyssa sat back down on the ground.

"I don't think it's going to work," she said defeatedly. "There doesn't seem to be any way to get them back."

----------

Tegan had wrapped her arms around Adric's waist as the guards neared. Adric's hands moved over the stone, frantically feeling about for any ridges or changes in texture. He found nothing but smooth surface.

The guards were less than ten yards away from them. They had raised their spears, and each wore a threatening expression on his face.

"Tegan," said Adric, "do you think they'll hurt us? They look angry."

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Adric. I thought I could get us back the Anahsti, but I was wrong."

"At least you tried," he replied.

"Whatever happens," she said, "I want you to know that Nyssa and I care about you very much. We think you're becoming terrific young man—smart and courageous. Don't ever forget that."

Adric found Tegan's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you."

They braced themselves as the guards came toward them.

----------

Nyssa and the Doctor sat silently, both deeply disappointed in the failure of their theory to yield the desired results. Nyssa rested her elbow inside the hollow; her hand lay limply over the figures.

She felt so tired. The last several days had been taxing, both physically and mentally. Now her despondency, combined with the heat of the day, led to a heavy fatigue. Her eyelids drooped and her shoulders slumped.

Suddenly her fingers twitched inside the hollow. She touched a figure in the top row with her index finger; her hand seemed drawn to it of its own accord. Her finger pressed a second figure, then two more in the next row. Nyssa's eyes flew open. She stared at her hand, and it ceased moving.

"Nyssa," the Doctor said softly and slowly near her ear, "just relax again. Let your hand do as it wishes."

"But Doctor—" she began.

"Sshh," he soothed. "Relax and don't fight your instincts. Just close your eyes again." The tone of his voice made her feel sleepy; she allowed her eyelids to lower. As she did, she felt her fingers move to the third row and touch three more figures.

"That's it, Nyssa," the Doctor whispered, "you're doing fine."

Nyssa sighed deeply as her fingers continued to move over the characters in the stone.

----------

Four guards stood directly in front of Tegan and Adric. Two pointed their spears at the young man and woman; the other two reached forward to drag them out of the hollow.

Tegan tried to push her body back further as the guard's fingers brushed against her arm. She knew that the hollow only extended a few feet into the rock; her efforts were ineffectual. Yet she felt her body move with a slight tug. It seemed as though a strong wind swept across her back; then, abruptly, her shoulders were jerked backward.

She locked her hand over her wrist to hold Adric to her as shadows surrounded them. Then she knew nothing; inexorable darkness enveloped her.

----------


	8. Chapter 8

As Nyssa's hand slipped away from the figures, the Doctor watched the interior of the hollow. He sensed a change in the air; a very slight prickling seemed to crackle against his skin. The hollow became shrouded in thick shadow. He pulled Nyssa, who was still slightly groggy, back.

For an instant the interior of the hollow was solid black. Then the darkness faded to gray, and a mist appeared to fill the indentation. As it dissipated, the Doctor saw a vague shape that solidified before his eyes.

"Adric!" cried Nyssa, coming back to her senses fully.

Adric lay slumped over in the hollow. Over his shoulder Nyssa and the Doctor saw Tegan; her arms were still clasped around the boy, but her head lolled back languidly.

"Let's get them out, now," said the Doctor, already reaching for Adric. The boy's arm and leg were in splints; the Doctor tried to move him carefully to the ground.

Nyssa knelt beside Adric, feeling for a pulse in his neck as the Doctor pulled Tegan forward then lay her on the sandy earth. He reached for her wrist as he looked back at Nyssa. Her eyes met his.

"He has a pulse," she said with relief.

"So does she," the Doctor responded.

"Will they be all right?" asked Nyssa, still somewhat anxious.

The Doctor had moved back to Adric to examine his injured leg. "I don't know. I have no idea what happened to them."

----------

Tegan was first aware of the warm sun upon her face. It seemed so bright, even through her closed eyelids. She lifted her hand to cover her eyes.

"Tegan?" Nyssa's soft voice was close to her. "Doctor! She's coming around."

Tegan opened her eyes to see the Doctor and Nyssa leaning over her. She realized that she lay flat on the ground. They were kneeling beside her.

Tegan blinked and rose up on one elbow. The Doctor slipped his arm behind her back to bring her to a sitting position.

"Welcome back," he said with a wide smile. "How do you feel?"

"Strange," she murmured.

"Strange?" he asked with some concern. "How so?"

"No, I feel fine—maybe a little woozy. But whatever happened was really strange."

She shook her head slightly. To her left lay Adric. She saw that the splints had been removed from his arm and leg. His eyes were closed.

"Adric!" she cried, leaning toward him. She looked at the Doctor. "Is he... is he dead?"

The Doctor appeared confused for a moment. "No, Tegan, he's going to be fine. I imagine he'll wake soon."

"But his arm and his leg—they're broken. Why did you take the splints off?"

The Doctor's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Because they are nearly healed now."

"Really? He said that he would heal quickly, but he was still in a lot of pain and had a lot of swelling just before we... we arrived here."

"Hmm," responded the Doctor. "That is quite interesting. How was the wound on his forehead?"

Tegan glanced at the young Alzarian. A small, narrow cut was visible across his brow. "It was much worse than that."

Nyssa had moved back toward Adric to place his head in her lap. She brushed her fingers over his cheek softly. "Poor Adric."

The Doctor focused his gaze on Tegan. "Tell me what happened to you and Adric. Where were you, and how did you get back here?"

Tegan shook her head. "I'm not sure. We were somewhere very far away—we couldn't understand the language there, so we must have been a great distance from the TARDIS. I think it was another planet; the sky was purple, and there were two moons at night."

"Really?" asked the Doctor with interest. "Do you have any idea of the planet's name?"

"No. But we stayed in a village there... I think it was called Tlan Arrana. It was quite similar to the ruins here, but well-populated. The villagers had found Adric and taken him back with them before I got there. He was hurt very badly. When I arrived I found a scrap of Adric's clothing, and I saw tracks leading to another mesa. I woke up in a hollow a lot like this one. After I saw the bit of cloth and the tracks, I decided to go after Adric."

"But Tegan, you were so ill," said Nyssa.

"From the heat, right?"

The Doctor gave a curt nod, saying, "Please continue."

"All right. I felt pretty weak. I drank most of the liquid from the flask—it was still with me. Then when I felt a bit better I followed the tracks to the village. The inhabitants took me up into their dwellings, but they didn't seem to want to let me or Adric go."

"They held you there?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking, although they treated us well. But we weren't the only ones from somewhere else. There was an old man there, too. He said he'd come from Earth originally to study the ruins here on Anahsti. Somehow he'd ended up there, and they had kept him for years."

"Did you happen to get his name?" asked the Doctor.

Tegan nodded. "Adam. Adam Martin."

"So that's where he went!" exclaimed Nyssa.

"Do you know who he is?" asked Tegan with some astonishment.

"Yes," replied the Doctor. "He was an archaeology student who disappeared from here over fifty years ago."

"I still don't understand how any of us got there," Tegan said, her forehead wrinkling in confusion.

The Doctor and Nyssa exchanged glances. "We're not entirely sure," said the Doctor. "We believe that this indentation serves as some sort of transport, possibly a dematerialization chamber."

"You mean we were scrambled?" Tegan asked with some alarm.

"Perhaps," the Doctor said with a smile, "but fortunately you were reassembled quite nicely on the other end."

"Very strange," said Tegan somberly. She was quiet for a minute, trying to process all that had occurred. Finally she looked at the Doctor. "So Adric and I, and Adam long ago, were transported to another planet from this hollow?"

"It seems that was the case," the Doctor replied.

"So we could return there?"

The Doctor appeared surprised by her question. "I'm not sure. Why would you want to do that?"

"That poor old man, Adam. I think he'd like to go home."

The Doctor glanced back at the hollow. "I'm really not certain how this works. It seems to be activated by a specific sequence of touches on those figures, and apparently it only responds to certain individuals."

"Did you activate it just now, when we came back?" asked Tegan.

The Doctor nodded. "I believe that Nyssa did. You didn't activate it from the other side?"

"No," replied Tegan. "There didn't seem to be any way to do that. There weren't any characters or carvings."

The Doctor appeared sober. "Then I believe, Tegan, that it would extremely unwise to attempt to return using this device. We have no way of knowing whether we could get back here. I think it was a very fortunate coincidence that Nyssa happened to activate the transport when you and Adric were in the chamber on the other side."

"Could we go after Adam with the TARDIS?" she asked.

"Possibly, but we'd have to know the name of the planet where you were."

"Doctor," said Nyssa, "Adric's waking."

Tegan and the Doctor moved toward the boy. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked at the familiar faces that stared down at him.

"Doctor," he said with considerable relief. "I'm awfully glad to see you."

The Doctor gave his shoulder a squeeze. "As am I you."

Adric's eyes moved upward to find Nyssa's smile directly above him. With a slight start he realized that he lay partially on her lap. He sat upright immediately, his torso wobbling slightly at the sudden motion.

Nyssa placed her arm around his shoulders to steady him. Adric's cheeks flushed, and he swallowed. Tegan touched his hand to draw his attention to her.

"Remember what I told you," she said softly.

Adric swallowed again and seemed to calm somewhat. He looked down at his leg then moved his arm slightly. "My leg—my arm," he muttered in awe. "They were broken."

"Well," said the Doctor cheerfully, "they're nearly healed now. You'll need to stay off of your leg for a day or two, and I wouldn't advise hitting any cricket balls for a while, but you appear to be close to full recovery."

"But how?" asked Adric.

The Doctor's eyes moved back to the hollow. "It must have had something to do with the transport process."

"But they were still broken when I arrived at the other place," said Adric.

The Doctor frowned. "Well, considering the distance that you fell, I would guess that you were very severely injured. Your crawling into this chamber and activating it for transport probably saved your life."

"Really?" Adric felt steadier and leaned away from Nyssa.

"The chamber must have helped you, too," Nyssa said to Tegan. "You were terribly ill."

The Australian nodded. "I guess. Doctor, what about Adam?"

The Time Lord's focus had shifted from his companions to the stretch of desert beyond the mesa. He squinted in the sunlight.

"Doctor?" asked Tegan.

"Hmm?" he responded absently.

"Can we try to get Adam back to Earth?"

"Perhaps. But at the moment we need to return to the TARDIS, and we need to go now." He leaped to his feet.

"What's the matter?" Nyssa inquired.

"Sergeant Modory is coming, and I'm rather certain that he's brought at least one friend." The Doctor pointed toward the far edge of the mesa. A small, open vehicle was just visible, churning dust in its wake.

"Who's Sergeant Modory?" asked Tegan.

"Later," the Doctor said briskly. He hurried toward the ladder and ascended it rapidly as his friends stood.

Adric found that he could not put his full weight on his leg. Nyssa's offer of support, however, was declined with a blush.

"You can't walk all that way by yourself," Nyssa was saying with gentle insistence when the Doctor returned with the bags.

"I can manage," the boy replied in a husky voice.

"Come on, Adric," said Tegan wearily, taking his arm, "I'll help you. What's a few more kilometers?"

Nyssa appeared slightly hurt by Adric's rebuff. The Doctor, however, handed her one of the bags and gave Tegan the other, saying, "I'll take Adric. We need to move quickly, and I have a height advantage."

They began walking at a rapid pace, the Doctor and Adric in the lead and Tegan and Nyssa slightly behind. Tegan had momentarily forgotten the brutality of the desert heat; the other planet had been cooler. Within a few minutes she felt sweat trickle down her cheeks.

Tegan looked back once at the vehicle. The distance between them and their pursuers had decreased, but Modory and his cohort were still more than a kilometer away.

"Why is he after us?" Tegan asked Nyssa.

"Sergeant Modory," the Traken replied, "arrested us for failing to have a permit to explore the ruins."

"Arrested you? You were in jail?"

"For a few hours, yes," said Nyssa. "But the Doctor managed to get us out and lock the sergeant inside his own cell. It looks like he's enlisted some help."

The Doctor glanced back, too. "Come on," he urged the young women, "we must hurry!"

Conversation ceased for some time, until the distinctive sound of a gunshot shattered the hot, still air. All four travelers paused to turn around. Modory and the other man were less than half a kilometer away. Modory was standing with his gun raised, and the faint sound of his shout drifted across the land.

"How much further to the TARDIS?" asked Tegan, wiping a hand across her face. She was tiring rapidly.

"Another kilometer," said the Doctor. Adric leaned against him; the swift movement and jarring had clearly caused him some pain.

The Doctor looked down at the young man then back at Tegan. He lowered Adric's arm, saying, "You two help him; keep walking as quickly as you can. I'm going to run ahead and try to move the TARDIS closer to you."

"But what about the ruins?" Nyssa asked.

"I'm afraid that we must take the risk." Without further comment, he sprinted away over the shimmering sand.

Tegan took Adric's arm and placed it over her shoulder. Nyssa reached for his other arm, but he winced slightly at her touch.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"It still hurts," he said.

Tegan glanced at the boy with a slight shake of her head. "Come on," she said resignedly, taking a step forward.

"Tegan, if you're tired I can help him," Nyssa offered.

"I'll be fine," Tegan said. "We all will be." She gave Adric a slight nudge with the fingers wrapped around his shoulder and continued walking.

After a few minutes, Tegan felt the burden of Adric's weight. Despite the apparent restorative effects of the chamber, she could tell that her efforts in helping him to escape had taken a toll on her. She stumbled and fought to keep her balance as Adric was forced to plant both feet on the ground.

A small cry of pain escaped him as he and Tegan steadied themselves.

"This is too much for you," said Nyssa, taking Adric's arm from around Tegan's shoulders.

Adric stammered, "I can make it by myself."

Nyssa wrapped her arm around his waist. "You don't have to. I want to help you."

"Thank you," breathed Tegan. She turned her head to glance at the vehicle that trailed them. "Hurry!" she exclaimed, giving Nyssa a small push. Modory and his colleague were rapidly nearing.

A second shot crackled overhead, and this time Modory's voice was clear: "Halt, or you'll be shot."

"Come on," Tegan said, "run!"

Nyssa and Adric hobbled forward as quickly as they could. Tegan jogged beside them.

"Stop!" Modory shouted. Another gunshot split the air. It was close enough to make Tegan jerk her head to the side. The sound of the vehicle's engine hummed across the sand.

"The next one's aimed right at your backs!" yelled the sergeant.

Tegan and Nyssa both looked back; Modory and the other man were only twenty yards away. Both held rifles.

"Stop now!" Modory commanded, leveling the gun directly at Nyssa.

"Keep going!" Tegan cried. "They're still too far away to aim accurately, especially while they're driving. Come on!"

Two shots rang out, and coarse sand sprayed Nyssa's feet. The bullets had hit the earth only inches from her.

"Tegan," she panted, "we have to stop. He's going to shoot us if we don't."

With a nod of defeat, Tegan ceased moving. The three travelers stood huddled together, waiting for the sergeant's vehicle to stop. He had his gun aimed solidly at Nyssa's chest; the other man kept his rifle steadily pointed at Adric.

As Modory exited the vehicle and strode toward them, he asked, "Where's that other man, the Doctor?"

Tegan and Nyssa exchanged looks, but neither responded.

"Come on," Modory ordered, "tell me. He's facing charges for assaulting a government agent."

"Assaulting a government agent?" asked Adric. "That doesn't sound like him."

"The sergeant wasn't harmed," Nyssa said softly, "at least not permanently."

"I won't ask again," Modory growled, thrusting the rifle barrel toward Nyssa.

Tegan stood up a bit straighter. "The Doctor ran off and left us. He's somewhere out there." She swept her hand out toward the expanse of desert.

Modory held a hand over his eyes, squinting at the distance. "I'll find him; he can't hide out there forever—not in this heat. Come on, then, get in." He gestured toward the vehicle with his rifle.

"Where are we going?" asked Tegan.

Modory shoved the rifle at her stomach with a rapid flick of his wrist. "Back to headquarters."

Tegan took a step back. "Look, you can't just arrest us without cause."

"Oh, I've got plenty of cause." He poked the rifle at Nyssa. "She helped that Doctor to assault me."

Tegan gave Nyssa a surprised glance. "If you say so. But Adric and I have done nothing wrong. You can't hold us."

"I can do whatever I please out here. I'm the agent in charge. You're associating with a wanted criminal, and I doubt that you have the necessary papers for exploring the ruins. That's a crime here on Anahsti."

"What makes you think we were at the ruins?" asked Tegan, trying to remain stationary as long as possible. She knew that he Doctor would return near where they stood. If they were taken in the vehicle, he would have trouble finding them.

Modory grunted. "Oh, you were there all right. Your friends—this little spitfire and the Doctor—were looking for you. They told me all about it. You've talked enough. Come on, get in."

He tapped at Adric's arm with the rifle. The boy flinched visibly at the rough touch.

"Hey!" Tegan cried, reaching out to push the rifle away. "Don't do that! His arm's been broken."

At Tegan's movement, Modory jerked the rifle back, cocking it instantly and leveling it at her chest. "Restrain her," he directed the other man.

Modory's colleague moved behind Tegan, grabbing both of her wrists and pulling them behind her back.

"Don't try that again," the sergeant growled. "Take her to the vehicle," he added.

The other man pushed Tegan forward, twisting her arms painfully as they moved. She gave a small cry.

"Stop it! You're hurting her!" cried Adric, reaching for the man's arm.

"That's enough!" Modory shouted, striking Adric soundly on the shoulder with the rifle.

The blow sent a wave of pain down Adric's arm. He gasped, foundering to his knees. Nyssa immediately knelt by his side.

"You didn't have to do that!" she said, looking up at Modory. "He was only trying to protect her, and you knew his arm was broken."

"All right," Modory said officiously, "you three are more trouble than you're worth. Durmon," he looked at the other man, "there's got to be a commendation in it for two agents who stop fleeing criminals. No one's going to question use of force in a case like that."

Durmon, still gripping Tegan's wrists, nodded. "You're probably right."

"No more trips out to this hellhole for you, and a post in town for me," Modory added. "This'll cancel out the reprimand for their escape. Demote me, will they?"

Modory's expression had darkened as he spoke; he was clearly livid. His mouth twisted slightly as he gestured with the rifle. "Up," he ordered Adric and Nyssa. She helped the boy to rise.

"Let her go," the sergeant told Durmon; he released Tegan and shoved her toward her two friends.

Each man readied his gun.

"No one's going to believe that we were running away," Tegan said desperately. She looked all around for any sign of the Doctor or the TARDIS, but the desert was empty.

"They will if you're shot in the back," Modory replied calmly. "Turn around."

"You can't do this!" Adric implored.

"We can, and we will. Turn around!" He jabbed at Adric's arm again with the rifle.

Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan's eyes met. Each reached for the other's hands; their fingers entwined tightly.

"You take this one and the boy," Modory was saying to Durmon, "I want the girl."

"Nyssa," Adric said, his voice steady despite his fear, "I'm sorry."

Tegan squeezed his hand as all three closed their eyes and waited for the sound of the guns.

----------


	9. Chapter 9

In the moment that Tegan believed would be the last of her life, she was aware of the heat from the sun and the sound of the shifting sands. She held Adric's and Nyssa's hands; their skin felt warm. She could hear both of them breathing shallowly. A sharp noise caused her to recoil. She wondered if she would feel the bullet enter her.

Unexpectedly, the noise continued. It was not the crack of a bullet firing; it was a grinding, mechanical sound.

Tegan opened her eyes. Adric and Nyssa had done the same.

"The TARDIS!" Adric cried.

Several yards away, the blue police box materialized on the sand. Modory and Durmon stared at the large object in astonishment, momentarily distracted from their intended acts.

Without another word, Adric, Nyssa, and Tegan ran for the TARDIS. The door was already open, and the Doctor stood beckoning them.

Their movements quickly pulled Modory from his brief reverie. "Don't let them get away!" he shouted to Durmon. Both men raised their guns.

"Duck!" shouted the Doctor as the men fired.

The three runners bent their shoulders and backs as bullets whizzed just above their heads. Nyssa reached the TARDIS first, and the Doctor pulled her inside. Tegan was close behind her.

"To the left!" the Doctor yelled, watching the angle of Modory's gun. Tegan swerved slightly as another bullet flashed by her head. She thought that she felt its heat near her cheek. But then the Doctor was clamping his hand around her wrist and tugging her into the sanctuary of the console room.

"Adric! Down!" the Time Lord shouted, falling to his own knees and reaching out for the boy as Durmon took aim.

Adric dropped to his belly and scrabbled forward across the sand the last few feet to the TARDIS. A bullet narrowly missed his leg as the Doctor pulled him inside.

"Shut the door!" the Doctor cried. A bullet bounced off of the interior wall.

Nyssa pulled the lever that closed the outer door.

The Doctor hurried to the console and depressed the new yellow button, saying, "Kappa-Prime, 1983." The console remained still and quiet.

"Hmm," muttered the Doctor, "perhaps it is in need of a slight modification."

With a shake of his head, he punched at several keys. In a moment the familiar sound of the TARDIS dematerializing greeted the ears of the four companions.

Tegan and Nyssa leaned against the wall, panting. Adric was struggling to sit up near the door. The Doctor bent toward the boy.

"Is everyone all right?" the Time Lord asked, his eyes sweeping over his young friends.

Nyssa nodded; Tegan muttered an affirmative response. Adric remained silent. The Doctor tilted the boy's face upward.

"Adric? Did you hurt your leg or arm again?" he asked with concern.

Adric's eyes rested on Nyssa and Tegan; he seemed momentarily unaware of the Doctor's presence.

"Adric?" the Doctor repeated.

"Yes?" Adric shook his head slightly then looked at the Doctor.

"Are you all right?" The Doctor had placed his hand lightly on the Alzarian's injured arm.

"I'll be fine," the young man replied.

The Doctor stood, offering a hand to Adric to help him rise.

"You need to stay off of your leg for a while," the Doctor said, already leading Adric toward the hallway.

Adric nodded. "Wait," he said, stopping. He turned back to the young women.

"Thank you," he said to them, his cheeks flushing mildly.

"Come on," the Doctor urged, leading him out of the room as Nyssa and Tegan watched.

"He's acting a bit strange," commented Nyssa.

Tegan stood wearily. "He'll be all right. But I need a shower and a big glass of water—maybe two." She followed the Doctor and Adric out into the hallway.

----------

Several hours later, the TARDIS shivered to rest near a huge, red mesa. Tegan gazed at the view screen, saying, "This looks like the place."

The Doctor moved from the console to stand by her side. "Good. Based upon the information you gave me about the landforms, sky, and moons, this planet was the one best fitting your description. Interestingly enough, it is also about the same distance as Earth is from Anahsti. This planet is called Anun-Usti."

"The name Anun-Usti reminds me a little of Anahsti. The two civilizations must be related."

"Most likely. My guess is that the original inhabitants came from Anahsti but were unable to return, so they settled here and eventually grew to several rather sizable communities."

Tegan nodded. "And that's the origin of the Anasazi, too?"

"I imagine so. One day perhaps we'll make a stop in Utah or Arizona to see if we can find a transport chamber among the ruins. Of course, if it is like the one here, functioning only one way, it wouldn't explain how the Anasazi disappeared. Perhaps the theories about climate change or migration are correct." He touched the lever that opened the door, then held out his hand. "Shall we?"

The TARDIS had materialized at the far edge of the mesa in which the village of Tlan-Arana lay. A short walk, less than a kilometer, would take the Doctor and Tegan back to the village. They stepped out into the warm twilight. The Doctor immediately looked up at the dusky lavender sky.

"Quite lovely," he commented as they began to walk.

"The village is very pretty, too. It's the live form of the ruins we saw, minus the elaborate characters—erythrocytes, you said they were?"

"Yes."

"I still don't really understand it. My blood, and Adric's and Adam's, was absorbed into the stone and then somehow allowed us to activate the transport chamber, right?"

The Time Lord nodded. "Rather like a retinal scan."

"What? You mean like from inside the eye?"

"Something like that. You'll understand what I mean in fifteen years or so."

Tegan shook her head. "Maybe. But how could the rock do that—create images of our blood cells then recognize them to activate the transport?"

"Nyssa and I believe that the rock is not really rock at all; it appears to contain some sort of organic matter capable of recognizing and replicating microscopic cells. This process seems to establish some vague psychic connection between the individual and the matter. I wish we'd been able to bring a sample of it back to the TARDIS, but I'm afraid Sergeant Modory's arrival put a stop to that."

"But what's the point of it all?"

"It seems to serve an expansion purpose; certain individuals are sent to other planets, where they eventually reproduce and form new societies. It's a rather intriguing method for spreading a civilization throughout the galaxy, don't you think?"

"I suppose so. But how were those people chosen? Surely not everyone went out to other planets."

"No, of course not. Obviously most of the inhabitants of the village remained there. Those transported may have done so inadvertently, as you, Adric, and Adam did. Or perhaps only those with certain characteristics inherent in their DNA were sent."

"I'm not sure I want to know why I got to go, if that's the case. But how does the transport chamber work?"

"I have some ideas about that, but perhaps I should tell you another time. It's rather technical."

Tegan stopped for a moment and turned to the Doctor. "And you think I wouldn't be able to understand it, right?"

The Doctor paused, too. "Not at all, Tegan. I'm finding you quite capable in many regards. But the explanation is somewhat lengthy, and we haven't sufficient time now."

Tegan frowned slightly. "In what regards?" she asked.

"What?"

"In what regards do you find me capable?"

The Doctor smiled. "You appear to be quite a skilled nurse; Adric told me that you took very good care of him, as well as finding a way to drug your captors. You were also able to take him across this desert, which I'm sure was no small feat, considering his injuries."

Tegan found her cheeks growing warm.

"And," added the Doctor, "your drawings of the erythrocytes were quite good."

"Thank you." She did not know what else to say.

They continued walking, Tegan feeling surprised, albeit pleased, by the Doctor's comments. However, there was a less positive subject that she felt needed to be addressed. She began to gather her thoughts so that she would be able to articulate them clearly and strongly when the time was right.

----------

Twilight had faded into darkness. Standing at the base of the ladder, holding a small lamp, the Doctor said, "Are you certain that you want to do this? They may try to keep us here, as they did with you and Adric before."

"I know," Tegan nodded, "but I really feel sorry for Adam. If there's any way that we can take him back to Earth, I want to do it."

"His life there has long ceased. I doubt that he has many family members or friends left—"

"But at least he'd be home."

The Doctor placed his hand on a high rung of the ladder. "I think that I should go first, in case there's any threat when we reach the top."

"All right."

He began to climb, Tegan following a few rungs below him. Soon they stood on the path around the ledge. Lights glowed inside the dwellings; the inhabitants appeared to be inside their homes dining. Quietly Tegan and the Doctor walked along the path toward Adam's dwelling at the far end of the village.

"This is odd," commented Tegan when they reached the house. "The door isn't barred anymore."

"Hmm." The Doctor pushed the door open, and they stepped inside.

The dwelling was dark and still. The Doctor adjusted the brightness of the lantern and held it up to illuminate the room. Adam lay upon his pallet, flat on his back.

"Adam!" Tegan said, kneeling next to the elderly man to give his shoulder a gentle shake. "Come on, Adam, it's Tegan. I've come to take you back to Earth."

The Doctor stood behind her, watching Adam for a moment. "Tegan," he said, resting his hand on her shoulder, "don't."

She looked up at him. "What?"

The Doctor bent to touch Adam's chest. "I'm afraid we're too late."

Tegan stared at Adam. "He's dead?"

The Doctor nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"What did they do to him?" she said angrily. A cup lay next to the bed. She picked it up and held it to her nose. "They've poisoned him!"

The Doctor took the cup and sniffed it. "No, Tegan, this contained only a mild sleep-inducing agent."

"Then what happened to him?"

The Doctor set the lantern on the floor and studied Adam's face for several seconds then lifted the man's hand to study the nails. "I would guess that his heart simply gave out."

Tegan touched Adam's cheek with her fingertips. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Tegan?" A familiar feminine voice echoed slightly through the still dwelling.

Tegan and the Doctor looked back toward the door; Hahmala stood holding a candle and a large basket.

Tegan rose. "Hahmala! Adam's dead!"

Hahmala blinked at Tegan, clearly surprised that the visitor's words were comprehensible to her. "Yes," she responded slowly. "His spirit left us just before dusk. I've come to prepare him for the rest of his journey. But you've come back. We thought that you and the boy had gone. The guards saw you disappear into the rock—"

Tegan nodded. "We did. We returned to the planet that we came from. But I wanted to take Adam back to his home, too, so we came back here."

"In the rock?" asked Hahmala.

"No, another way."

"But," said Hahmala, still perplexed, "I do not understand this. You can speak my language now."

"No, I really can't. It's the TARD—"

The Doctor immediately cut her off. "Yes, we can understand your language. We appreciate all that you did for Adric; he told us how well you treated him. But we really must be going now. Come along, Tegan." He stepped toward the door.

"No," said Hahmala, "you must not go."

"I'm afraid that we must," replied the Doctor.

"Please." Hahmala took a step back toward the door.

The Doctor reached for her arm and steered her back into the dwelling. "I'm sorry, but we can't stay, and you mustn't try to stop us from going."

"But Tegan is our sign. She must remain here."

The Doctor asked, "Your sign? Of what?"

"Of good fortune, of hope for renewal," replied Hahmala. "Those who come from the rock bring new blood and new lives."

"Of course," said the Doctor with a nod of understanding, "your ancestors came from the rock. But you have an established community. You have all that you need here; your village is thriving."

"Yes. But it was not before Ah-Dahm came. There were few babies, and many of those who were born died before they could grow into men and women. But Ah-Dahm brought new blood, and many babies came after him."

The Doctor considered this information for a moment. "Did Adam have children here?"

Hahmala nodded. "Yes. He had seven, and many grandchildren. My grandfather saved this village."

Tegan blinked in surprise. "Adam was your grandfather?"

"Yes," replied Hahmala.

"So he had a life here—a wife and a family," said Tegan.

"Yes."

Tegan looked back at the elderly man. His countenance appeared tranquil. "Was he happy?"

Hahmala smiled. "Yes. He loved his children and grandchildren, and he had a wonderful wife."

"But I thought he wanted to leave the village," said Tegan. "Isn't that why you kept him locked in here?"

Hahmala's expression became somber. "The elders have told me that he tried to leave during the first season that he was here. But after he married, he never tried to go. The door to this dwelling was shut recently so that he would not be hurt. His mind wandered; he was confused. Three seasons ago he nearly fell from the path. We only put the door here to keep him safe."

"I'm glad he had a good life here," Tegan said.

"Yes," added the Doctor. "And his genetic material obviously strengthened the generations that followed him."

"So you see why you must stay?" asked Hahmala. "You will both bring stronger children to the village."

"Children?" echoed Tegan. "Oh, I don't think so."

"No, Hahmala," said the Doctor, "that is not our purpose in coming here. We cannot stay. Please, allow us to leave without difficulty."

"I cannot," Hahmala responded. She stood firmly before the door.

"Please don't force us to restrain you," said the Doctor.

Hahmala turned her head toward the doorway, obviously preparing to call for help. Tegan grasped the other woman's arm, however, and pulled her forward, clamping her hand over Hahmala's mouth.

"Please just let us go," Tegan enjoined as Hahmala's eyes widened. "Please."

The Doctor took Tegan's wrist to lower her hand. "Hahmala," he said, "even if we did stay, we would not bring any children to this village. I am not the same as your people. Much as two different types of lizards that look quite similar still cannot reproduce, your people and I would not be able to create any children."

"But you look like us," Hahmala said.

The Doctor took her hand and pressed it over one of his hearts then against the other. Hahmala's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"I have two hearts," he said simply. "You have only one."

Hahmala withdrew her hand. "And Tegan?"

"She is—" the Doctor began.

"Different, too," Tegan finished.

Hahmala nodded. "I understand."

She stepped away from the door and bowed her head slightly. "You may go. I must attend to Grandfather now. He has lain too long already."

Tegan quickly squeezed Hahmala's hand. "Thank you," she said.

"We wish you and your people well," added the Doctor as he moved toward the doorway. He paused, however, to touch a few circular carvings on the wall. "How did these get here?" he asked Hahmala.

She replied, "My father carved them. We put a few in each home for luck."

"Why do you use these particular shapes?" asked the Time Lord.

"I do not know, " Hahmala responded. "Our ancestors began carving them, and we have always done the same."

"They are very attractive," he commented, then he stepped toward the door.

"Good bye," said Tegan.

Hahmala nodded again. "Wait," she said, quickly looking out the door. "Go that way." She pointed to the left of the dwelling, away from the main portion of the village. "There is a small ladder four houses away. You will not be seen if you use it."

Tegan and the Doctor smiled in appreciation and left the house. They found the ladder easily and descended it quickly without further conversation. Once they had reached the ground, however, Tegan spoke.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, I didn't realize that Adam had been married and had a family here. I thought he'd been their prisoner all this time."

"It's all right, Tegan. You wanted to help him; I cannot fault you for that. And we've managed to leave without difficulties, so there was no harm done. Actually, I rather enjoyed seeing the village."

His pace quickened, as he added, "However, we should return to the TARDIS as soon as possible. There could be other dangers out here."

Relieved as she was to have departed from Tlan-Arana without incident, Tegan's mind was still heavy. She took a breath; she wanted to have this discussion before they arrived at the TARDIS.

"Doctor," she said, trying to use a firm and confident voice, "there's something you need to know about Adric's fall."

The Time Lord strode beside her but turned to give her an inquisitive look. "Really? And what is that?"

"He was trying to avoid Nyssa and me. That's how he stumbled and fell."

The Doctor's steps slowed. "I see."

"I think," said Tegan, "that your conversation left him feeling embarrassed and ashamed. It really hurt his pride. He would barely look at me in the village, and he actually wanted me to leave him here, rather than having to face Nyssa."

"That is unfortunate." The Doctor's voice was flat; his forehead creased momentarily.

"I know you're going to say it's all my fault for pushing you to talk with him, but I really don't think it is. It's not fair for you to blame this on me. I was just trying to point out a potential problem, and if you handled it in a way that was upsetting to Adric, then—"

The Doctor interrupted her. "You're probably right, Tegan."

She stopped walking. "What?"

He ceased his movement, too. "In retrospect, I do not believe that I dealt with the topic as well as I might have. Clearly Adric was upset; I realize that now. However, at the time I felt that I was doing the right thing. I'm not entirely sure, even now, how I might have handled it differently."

Tegan was still somewhat taken aback by the Doctor's complacency. After a moment, she said, "I guess I could have given you some better suggestions instead of just insisting that you speak with him. You've never raised a teenage boy or spent a lot of time around them; I probably shouldn't have expected you to know what to say."

"Perhaps in the future you could provide me with some guidance, should a similar situation ever arise."

"Any time, Doctor." Tegan smiled and began walking again.

"Wait a moment," he said, gently reaching for her arm. "There is one more thing that I would like to say to you."

She stopped to look at him.

"I regret that you became ill; I was not as attentive as I should have been."

Tegan frowned. "But Doctor," she said, "if I hadn't gotten sick, I would never had ended up here, and we wouldn't have been able to find Adric."

The Doctor shook his head. "Miss Tegan, at times your logic astounds me."

Tegan opened her mouth to respond, but a distant howl silenced her momentarily.

The Doctor cocked his head to the side to listen. "Come on," he said, taking her arm again and hastening forward. "Trust me on this, Tegan. We do not want to come face to face with the animals that have made that noise."

With a small shiver as she recalled her long walk across the desert with Adric, Tegan agreed, "Too right."

They hurried along the base of the mesa in the silver light of the two moons.

----------


	10. Epilogue

Adric sat up on his bed. He held a hefty mathematics text propped on his uninjured leg. He studied the pages with interest.

"Adric." Nyssa's soft voice drew his immediate attention.

She stood in the doorway holding a plate with a large sandwich. "I thought you might be hungry," she said, stepping inside.

Adric's stomach growled loudly, but he said, "I'm all right."

Nyssa set the plate on the night table but did not turn to leave. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

He did not look at her. "No. I'm fine. I would have been fine by myself. You should have gone with the Doctor and Tegan."

She touched his arm gently. "I wanted to stay here in case you needed anything."

"It wasn't necessary. I don't deserve it, anyway."

Nyssa's brow wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he murmured, his eyes moving back to the page of equations before him.

"Really, Adric, I want to know. Why would you feel that you don't deserve to be taken care of? You've been hurt—"

"And I've hurt you!" he blurted out.

Nyssa sat down on the bed. "No you haven't. I can't imagine why you would say that."

Adric kept his eyes on the book. "I... I've been horrible to you."

"Are you running a fever?" Nyssa asked with concern, pressing her palm against his cheek.

He brushed her hand away. "No."

"You're not making any sense," she said.

"I just... I want to apologize to you... for being rude."

"Rude? You haven't been."

He looked at her, finally, with clouded eyes. "You don't think so?"

She smiled. "No, silly, I don't."

"I haven't offended you?"

"Only just now—by making me think that I've led you to feel that you've upset me in some way."

"No, Nyssa, I didn't mean that at all. I just wanted to say that if I've been inconsiderate or anything, I'm sorry."

"Is that why you apologized just before the Doctor brought the TARDIS to us on Anahsti?"

He nodded.

"Well, it was really very unnecessary, but if it will make you feel better, I accept your apology."

"Thanks."

Nyssa stood. "I won't be far. Just call me if you need anything."

She turned and walked out of the room. Adric found his eyes drawn to her backside, but he quickly returned them to the book. He would be certain that he avoided such looks in the future.

----------

The Doctor strolled along one of the countless hallways in the TARDIS, passing the library then pausing to peer inside. Adric stood near one of the shelves, reaching for a book.

The Doctor stepped inside. "Is there something that I can help you to find?" he asked amiably.

Adric turned quickly, pushing the book back into its niche.

"No, Doctor. I'm... just looking around a bit."

The Time Lord nodded and tried to suppress a small smile. "I see. The mathematics texts are over there." He gestured toward a shelf on the opposite wall.

"Oh, I know." Adric took a step backward.

"Of course you're welcome to any book in here."

The young man gave a brief nod.

The Doctor leaned against the wall. "Adric," he began, "back on Anahsti, when I asked if you had any questions or concerns, I was quite serious. If you ever wish to discuss anything with me, I would be glad to do so. The contents of those books, for example." He gestured toward the shelf that Adric had recently explored.

"All right." Adric's gaze wandered back toward the books. "I'll let you know."

"Well," said the Doctor, "I'll leave you to your studies." He turned to go, but paused. "You know, Adric, a large part of being an adult is facing difficult situations with courage and aplomb, as well as confronting our mistakes and carrying on despite them. I think that you are well on your way to becoming a fine young man."

The Time Lord walked out the door, leaving a look of surprised pleasure on Adric's face. After a moment, he pulled a book from the nearby shelf and settled down on the floor to read.

----------


End file.
